KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has granted protective-bail to a suspect in a case pertaining to the pilferage of Lahore-bound cargo that contained goods worth Rs 304 million.
A single bench of the SHC granted seven-day protective bail to Muhammad Imran with surety bond of Rs 100,000.
Applicant Imran, represented by Advocate Zain A Jatoi, moved the court submitting that the Customs Court had issued non-bailable warrants for his arrest after he was declared as absconding accused in the interim charge-sheet. He said that Imran was innocent and had nothing to do with the offence.
The applicant requested the court to grant him bail so that he could surrender before the trial court concerned and face charges.
According to the prosecution, Pakistan Customs’ Anti-Smuggling Organization raided a godown in the city’s Site area and seized a huge quantity of imported goods.
The seized goods included 27,217 mobile phones of assorted brands, 1695 assorted tablets notepad, 46,979 pieces of contact lenses, 2,007 perfumes, 214 LED TVs, 10,060 kg pencil erasers, 73 washing machines, 122 pieces of DVD players, 182 dry irons, 750 Samsung mobile phone batteries, 15 refrigerators, 196000 feather blades 196,000, 172000 cotton stick.
A transshipment cargo in a container bearing No EITU-1135555 was taken from the port area under transshipment permit (TP) to be cleared at Lahore dry port but instead of taking it to the upcountry dry port the same was taken to the godown in the city. At this godown, the higher duty goods were being offloaded and the container was being stuffed with low duty goods.
