Rs825m tax evasion detected at Port Qasim

Customs files case against EPZ unit offenders; two teams formed to arrest suspects

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KARACHI:

The Collectorate of Customs (Exports) at Port Muhammad Bin Qasim has uncovered tax and duty evasion amounting to Rs825 million and filed a case against a trading unit operating within the Export Processing Zone (EPZ).

The collectorate audited consignments imported by M/s Sardar Enterprises during the fiscal year 2023-24, based on credible information regarding the unit's activities. The audit revealed that the company misused the exemptions granted to EPZ units, engaging in smuggling and tax evasion.

In January this year, the company imported two consignments, one of which raised alarms during a detailed examination.

The company had falsely declared a consignment as comprising mixed old and used LCD laptops, LCD panels, computer parts and components. However, upon inspection, the Customs audit team found used tablets and new keyboards, which are not permissible under EPZ import regulations.

In the second consignment, the company declared bales of cotton in the goods declaration. However, a Customs examination revealed that 14,000 kilograms of cellulose acetate tow were concealed inside the cotton bales, which violates EPZ import laws.

Through these misdeclarations, M/s Sardar Enterprises evaded Rs825 million in duties and taxes, causing a loss to the national exchequer.

The collectorate has registered a case against the company's directors, Javed Rasheed and Waqar Insha, as well as clearing agent M/s Maryam Logistics' owner Ahmed Shehzad Khan and Qurban Ali. Two teams have been formed to arrest the suspects.