KARACHI: Directorate Intelligence and Investigation (DI&I), Customs, Karachi has booked an assistant collector and examiner of Model Collectorate Customs (MCC) Appraisement Port Qasim over their connivance for a Lahore-based steel company in the clearance of iron and steel re-rollable scrap consignment through alleged misdeclaration and tax evasion of Rs 9.02 million.

Reacting to this information, the Directorate has carried out scrutiny of goods declaration no KPPI-HC-89235 and related documents uploaded in the system, which purportedly revealed that consignment was imported from Sharjah and shipped from Jabel Ali port.

It further revealed that consignment was examined by the staff of Collectorate in suspicious way as the original examining officer whom GD was assigned by the system for examination was sent to leave in a mysterious condition reportedly upon his refusal to do this unlawful favour to the importer.

In addition, the consignment was assessed by the MCC Port Qasim on the basis of the data at total assessed value of $50,410, which was equivalent to Rs 8.58 million and it was cleared on the payment of duty and taxes amounting to Rs 3.218 million.

In order to confirm the information, the consignment was blocked at all stages after being assigned to 'Gate Out' and later during online checking of the GD, surprisingly showed its status as assigned to examination officer and the GD log report also confirmed that the GD was unlawfully reverted by the AC examination despite the fact that the GD already completed and cleared by him earlier was blocked at all stages after being assigned to 'Gate Out'.

The FIR further stated that this deliberate criminal act on part of AC examination strengthened the fact that the collectorate's officers were trying to cover up wilful malpractices and wrong doing through re-examination of the blocked consignment and this was a clear attempt of saving the importer and their associates from possible legal and criminal proceeding by the Directorate.

The outcome of the examination and scrutiny conducted by the Directorate purportedly confirmed that the said Lahore based Steel company in connivance with the aforementioned customs officers deliberately misdeclared the description and actual quantity of the imported goods and evaded duty and taxes amounting to Rs 9.02 million. Consequently, the Directorate has booked two customs officers along with importer and clearing agent in the FIR. Further investigation was underway.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020