KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the customs authorities to submit a detailed report about smuggling of contraband goods through Green Channel.
The court directed this while hearing a bail petition filed by suspects, Babar Sultan, the Chief Finance Officer of M/s Digicom (Private) Limited (Q Mobile) and others. The suspects were booked for attempting to smuggle more than 78,000 mobile phones in the garb of LED lights (bulbs).
The court also directed the office to send a copy of the orders to the director general Customs with directions to submit the report within one month through Member Inspection Team (MIT) of this court, mentioning the rules and operation of the Green Channel. The office also directed to place the matter before the court after receiving such a report for further perusal of the case.
It needs to be pertained here that suspects had moved bail petition before customs court and argued that their clients are innocents and were been falsely implicated in this case, therefore court may grant them bails, however, counsel for the customs department opposed and stated that prosecution has concrete evidences, therefore, court may reject his bail and after the arguments court had rejected their bails petitions.
Earlier, investigation officer of Intelligence and Investigation-FBR had produced the above mentioned suspect before the court and informed the court that on a credible information, a team of Intelligence and Investigation-FBR raided at Bungalow No 107/1 Lane 10, Kheaban-Rahan DHA Karachi and during the search recovered 78,160 foreign origin mobile phones from 3908 cartons and arrested above mentioned suspect who introduced himself as admin manager of M/s Digicom Trading Pvt Ltd.
He further informed the court that after formalities officials of the Intelligence and Investigation-FBR seized mobile phones and shifted at investigation office and notice under section 171 also issued to the M/s Digicom Trading Company.
According to the prosecution was registered for violation of under section 2 (s) 16, 32 (1) & (2) 32A, 79, 80, 157 and 178 of the Customs Act, 1969 read with import policy order 2016 punishable under section 156 (1) (8) (89) (9) (9) (14) (14A) (43) (44) (45) & 156 (2) ibid read with section 3, 6, 7A, 33, 34 of the sales tax act, 1990, further read with section 148 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001.
