Imported goods: Misdeclaration of Rs 18 million detected

MCC Port Qasim has detected gross mis-declaration of Rs 18 million on imported goods by a noted steel company. The Company is mainly engaged in manufacture and sale of steel bars and billets. Information was received through Collector Port Qasim Mumtaz Khoso regarding mis-declaration of imported goods cleared through the green channel. Subsequently, on the instructions of Additional Collector Fawad Hasan, Deputy Collector CIU Amjad Aman Leghari pursued the information.
According to sources, a consignment of this steel importer with GD, KPPI-HC-5498-22-07-2019 comprising 47 containers filed through a clearing agent declaring 1140380 kg iron and steel remeltable scrap and only 4700kg of auto parts scrape was assigned to gate-out through green channel.
"The Consignment of 47 containers of importer assigned to get out through green channel was intercepted and when nine (09) containers were examined, auto parts scrap weighing more than 70 tons were found against the declared quantity of 900 Kg steel sheets," the sources added.
However, during the regular scrutiny by CIU-section of the MCC Port Qasim, the declaration was found doubtful as only 100 kg of the auto-parts scrap per container was declared and consignment was from the UAE.
An initial examination of six containers gave credence to the initial suspicion on quantity of auto parts scrap. Subsequently, three more containers were marked for examination and when nine containers were completely de-stuffed and fully marked for joint examination with representatives of the importer on July 28, 2019 at 3:30 pm, the quantity of auto parts scrap was found to be grossly mis-declared as in two containers auto parts scrap constituted 80 per cent of the container weight.
In view of this 'mis-declaration', the remaining 38 containers have also been marked for examination as the approximate difference in duty and taxes excluding fine and penalty have been calculated at Rs 10 million in already examined containers.
An official said on the directives of Chairman FBR Syed Shabbar Zaidi, and Member Customs Owais Aga Jawwad the Board was keeping strict vigilance on mis-declarations and under-invoicings.