ISLAMABAD: Investigations have been instigated against The Courier Services (TCS) and Smart Zone Company for their alleged involvement in smuggling of electronic gadgets under cover of Afghan Transit Trade here the other day.
As per details, TCS with collaboration of Smart Zone Company allegedly imported electronic gadgets worth millions under Afghan Transit cover without paying duty. Directorate General Customs Intelligence and Investigation (DG I&I) Rawalpindi has filed FIR against TCS Chief Executive Saqib Hamdani and CEO Smart Zone Shakir-ullah along others and has formulate teams to arrest them.
A source from Customs intelligence told Customs Today that last night on the tip of informer Customs authorities raided TCS warehouse in Fazaia Colony near Rawalpindi Airport and recovered electronic gadgets worth millions including 800 Korean made air conditioners, dozens of refrigerators, LCD TVs’, microwave ovens and washing machines. He said that it is important to note that a similar raid has been conducted at Lahore TCS warehouse recovering electronic gadgets under cover of Afghan Transit. “The stickers of Afghan Transit could be observed on smuggled items” he added.
TCS, in initial investigations denied the allegations of smuggling and responded that the imported items belonged to some third party and present at its warehouse only for delivery. Later, investigations revealed that these gadgets belong to a private company Smart Zone which has a written agreement with TCS duly signed by TCS Chief Executive Saqib Hamdani and Smart Zone CEO Shakir-ullah.
Moreover, as per agreement TCS has been delivering these electronic gadgets to dealers of Smart Zone all over the country via TCS logistic transport consisted of 230 satellite tracked trucks which usually not checked by Customs. The collaboration of these two companies had cost national exchequer billions of rupees duty evasion.
