KARACHI: Pakistan Customs has registered a case against Shaheen Air International while seizing its twelve aircraft. The airline has been barred from selling or scrapping the planes until it owes hundreds of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.
The airline was selling and scrapping its twelve aircraft parked idle at Karachi airport for long. In addition to the 12 aircraft one of its operational units was also damaged recently. The company was selling the units for Rs 1.5 million apiece, sources said.
Customs Preventive has launched an FIR against managing director, directors and partners of the airline for violating Sections 2 (s), 32 (2) & 79 of the Customs Act 1969 which is punishable under clauses 8, 14 & 47 of Section 156 (1) ibid read with Sales Tax Act 1990 and Income Tax Ordinance 2001. No arrests have been made so far. The value of duties/taxes on the aircrafts were to be ascertained yet, said the FIR. The FIR was registered at the Customs air freight unit, Jinnah International Airport on June 18, 2014.
The FIR text states, “It was learnt from a reliable source that M/S Shaheen Air International Limited (SAI), Karachi, temporarily imported 12 aircraft (mentioned above) under different lease agreements. It started scrapping the aircraft without getting prior permission from the customs authorities as required under Section 79 of the Customs Act 1969.
In order to confirm the information the undersigned (Syed Hassan Mehdi) and a team of customs officers from rummaging and patrolling section, Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, physically inspected SAI’s ‘on-ground’ aircraft on the apron of the airport.
On June 18, 2014, after physical inspection, it was found that 12 different aircraft belonging to the SAI that were parked in the ground area behind Bay No 28 at Jinnah International Airport were not intact; fittings therein (including engines etc) had been removed/dismantled.
Musheernama to this effect was prepared on the spot. The information so received has further revealed that Shaheen Air International has approved a scrap dealer for cutting and removing of aircraft against a payment of Rs 1.55 million each for five aircraft, which aspect is being probed into, to ascertain the extent of illegality committed by SAI to the total amount of taxes / duties evaded by them and to identify the persons responsible for the loss to the government exchequer.
In the meantime, a notice under Section 168(1) has been served upon the management of the M/S Shaheen Air International not to remove, part with or otherwise deal with the said aircraft without prior permission of the customs authorities.
Shaheen Air International had been caught red-handed by the customs while evading duties, taxes etc.earlier as well. Just a few weeks back the SAI staffers were caught shifting various goods including aircraft parts at Karachi airport without mandatory documentation and payment of taxes, duties. A case was registered and the SAI admitted it was a mistake, said the sources. The customs confiscated the goods but offered to release them if the SAI paid taxes plus fine etc, which the airline paid.
