Karachi, April 29, 2019: MCC Appraisement East has lodged four separate FIRs against several persons for illegal removal of in-bonded goods without the filing of ex-bond GD, thus evading legitimate government revenue to the tune of hundreds of millions of rupees.
Information was received in MCC Appraisement West and MCC Appraisement East that certain goods imported and in-bounded in the bonded warehouse M/s General Services were illegally removed by the importers in connivance with the warehouse keeper and their accomplices without payment of leviable duties and taxes.
Collector MCC Appraisement West Wajid Ali formed a team headed by ADC Rehmatullah Vistro and comprising PA Shafiullah, AO Abdul Ghani Soomro, Muhammad Shamaz Saquib, Ibtisam Ghulamullah to investigate the case jointly with the team formed by Collector MCC Appraisement East Nadeem Memon comprising DC Rana Arslan, PA Abdul Qayyum, AO Saleem Qaimkhani, Ilyas Ghichki and Shahid Hasan.
The joint team found that Muhammad Arif and Idrees of M/s Steel Co in connivance with others illegally removed plastic molding compound without payment of duty and taxes of Rs43.63 million, while surcharge on evaded revenue comes to Rs64.98 million.
Zubayr Abdul Aziz and Junaid Mansuri of M/s Z.R Corporation in connivance with others illegally removed Hot rolled steel sheets in coils of primary quality without payment of duty and taxes of Rs104.618 million, while surcharge on evaded revenue comes to Rs49.57 million. Junaid Mansuri is said to be the mastermind of the entire scam and is known as the business partner of a former chief collector of Appraisement South.
Umar Farooq of M/s Lucky Star Steel Industries in connivance with others illegally removed secondary galvanized steel coils without payment of duty and taxes of Rs47.035 million, while surcharge on evaded revenue comes to Rs35.94 million. Umar Farooq is said to be a close associate of former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani and was found involved in gross misdeclaration, however, the case was not properly pursued.
Imran Butt of M/s Azam & Sons in connivance with others illegally removed Hot rolled steel sheets in coils of primary quality without payment of duty and taxes of Rs7.03 million, while surcharge on evaded revenue comes to Rs9.02 million.
Sources said that these goods had long been gone, and were actually removed during the tenure of former Chief Collector Appraisement South. It was also known that recently an SRO was issued granting a waiver of penal surcharge on in-bonded goods; sources said the SRO waiving penal surcharge was actually issued to cover up the crime. Sources said after the waiver, GDs were filed of the missing goods and duty/taxes were paid, but there was no record of examination or assessment of the said goods with the Customs.
FIRs have been lodged against bonded warehouse M/s General Services, M/s Lucky Star Steel Industries, M/s Azam & Sons, M/s Steel Co and M/s Z.R Corporation.
