LAHORE: The Customs Preventive has sealed M/s Zainab Duty Free Shop located at Allama Iqbal International Airport and canceled its license on the charge of causing a huge loss to the national exchequer.
Sources told Customs Today that there are only four duty free shops in Pakistan. They said that, during the last four years, M/s Zainab Duty Free Shop issued various products to the passports holders who had never visited Lahore, thus caused a loss of Rs 6 million to the national exchequer.
Earlier, Collector Customs Zulifqar Ali Chaudhary had directed the customs officials to monitor the duty free shop. The Pakistan Customs Preventive has also finalized a report after conducting an initial investigation into the matter.
Sources said that in the light of this investigation report, the authorities canceled the license of M/s Zainab Duty Free Shop. Sources also said that, on the directions of collector customs, Deputy Collector Naveedul Rehman Bhagvi took this action against the shop and sealed all of its outlets at Allama Iqbal International Airport. It is pertinent to mention here that M/s Zainab Duty Free Shop has three outlets at Lahore airport.
Sources said that during the initial investigations, M/s Zainab Duty Free Shop was allegedly found involved in embezzlement of Rs 6 million.
On other hand, the Customs officials have confiscated three bottles of alcohol from passengers travelling via different flights during raids at Allama Iqbal International Airport. Sources said that the customs team conducted operations in different flights coming from Dubai to Lahore.
During these operations, the Customs Preventive team confiscated one LED of 40 inches from a passenger. A number of cell phones and mobile phones accessories were also recovered from Lahore airport. The security officers have launched an investigation into the matter.
