KARACHI: Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) has unearthed cases worth rupees 1000 million in current fiscal year, said Dawood Zahid Khokhar, Chief Collector, Preventive of Pakistan Customs here yesterday.
Addressing a press conference at Ghas Bunder (Karachi Port Customs House), he said the cases/contraventions detected involved custom duty and other taxes worth rupees 1000 million which is a record figure.
Flanked by Collector Preventive Tariq Huda, Additional Collector Khalid Hussain Jamali, Assistant Collector Syed Raza Naqvi and entire team of ASO, he said a fresh drive has been launched against the menace of smuggling during which the Model Customs Collectorate of Preventive, has busted a network of cartels involved in the smuggling of merchandise/contraband goods of high slab duty viz mobile phones, perfumes, LED TVs refrigerant gas etc. One of the biggest ever seizure of merchandise valuing Rs 304 Million in the history of MCC Preventive Custom House Karachi was made in the month of October 2015, he told the media showing the seized goods. This mafia was involved in replacement of transshipment goods of high slab duty with low slab duty en-route to upcountry destinations by way tampering Customs Container Security Seals. As per leads collected during investigations all the Collectorates were requested to inform about the cargo containers pending for re-export. As a consequence, the instant cargo container was located in the East Wharf KPT, which was in the process of re-export on fake, forged and fabricated documents. The container was examined and huge quantity of merchandise/contraband goods worth Rs 272.82 million involving duty/taxes Rs 154.92 million were found and seized as per law, he stated assuring that relentless efforts would be made by ASO to curb smuggling and evasion of duty.