Customs foils smuggling bid at Port Qasim

Importer allegedly aimed to avoid paying duty on artificial jewellery, other items

KARACHI: Pakistan Customs Port Qasim export collectorate foiled a bid to smuggle Indian goods disguised as second-hand goods, in an operation carried out on a tip-off on Wednesday.

The importer had attempted to avoid paying Rs36 million on account of customs duty and other taxes by taking advantage of the export processing zone.

Port Qasim export collector Syed Fawad Ali Shah stated that the importer was trying to smuggle Indian artificial jewellery, cosmetics, American copper tubes, and Japanese paint markers, adding that the customs department had initiated an operation to arrest suspects.

According to sources, Shah had received information that an imported export processing consignment was being cleared illegally at Karachi Port, following which he gave orders to strictly monitor imported consignments received under the name of the export processing zone.

Later, when the consignment arrived, the inspection revealed that the company was trying to transfer the consignment to the export processing zone through a user identity.

The sources further disclosed that the importer said he was unaware of the container when he was asked about the consignment, on which the export collectorate halted the consignment at the port and launched an investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2020.