PESHAWAR: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested 3 Customs officers and started investigation against others including DC Athar Naveed who were allegedly involved in billions of rupees scam at Peshawar Dry Port.
Customs Today obtained official NAB documents which revealed that these three customs officers including Shahid Akbar, Abdul Hadi and Hidayat Ullah in connivance with Athar Naveed, the then Deputy Collector at Peshawar Dry Port, cleared 701 illegal consignments from 2015 to 2017, causing billions of rupees losses to the exchequer.
DC Athar Naveed, being a senior officer at Peshawar Dry Port, did not perform his duties vigilantly, hence misused his authority and illegally cleared the consignments in violation of the applicable rules. Malik Aman, Mumraz Alhaaj Gul and others, being superintendents, allegedly helped clear the consignments in violation of the applicable rules. In connivance with each other, they illegally assessed and cleared 488 consignments and caused Rs 9,180.75 million losses to the national exchequer.
Muhammad Arafat at J/S Bank illegally extended the LC on 17-10-2016 and Customs agents Asif Ali and Muhammad Asim did not inform the customs authorities about illegal extension in the LC. They in connivance with other accused persons processed and cleared 55 and 23 consignments of Jameel Ahmad Jan.
According to the NAB documents received by Customs Today, an interrogation process has been started at a high level to trace corruption in clearance of old and used cars which were imported under amnesty scheme.
Customs Today has been the first to disclose the fraud carried out at the Peshawar Dry Port from 2015 to 2017 where different appraisers cleared illegal consignments.
The NAB arrested the accused persons on 15-08-2017, 19-09-2017 and 2-11-2017, hence the interim reference against all accused persons is being filed.
Customs Today already filed a lot of stories on corrupt practices of DC Athar Naveed when he was posted at Port Qasim in 2015 but no action was taken by Customs and FBR high ups against him. Finally the NAB has arrested these corrupt officials and started investigation against other accused including DC Athar Naveed.
It may also be mentioned here that at Port Qasim, DC Athar Naveed always used to disturb the genuine importers. Due to continuous hardships faced by them in process of examination and assessment, they complained against the DC but he started delaying their consignments. At last, importers even decided to shift their businesses from MCC-Port Qasim to other field formation collectorates due to harsh behaviour of DC Athar Naveed.
