Customs foils bid to smuggle Indian goods

ISLAMABAD:

The Collectorate of Customs Appraisement (West), Karachi, has foiled several attempts to illegally import Indian-origin goods into Pakistan by misdeclaring their country of origin, in violation of the Import Policy Order.

According to an official statement issued on Wednesday, the first case emerged when an importer tried to clear a textile machinery consignment by falsely declaring its origin as China. Customs officers detected the fraud and stopped clearance of goods worth Rs24.22 million. Following this detection, the Collectorate heightened vigilance at the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) and off-dock terminals, intercepting three more consignments suspected to be of Indian origin.

In one case, a second textile machinery shipment from Jebel Ali was declared Chinese, but officials found "Made in India" markings and removed specification labels. Its value was assessed at Rs16.60 million. Another case involved a Power Distribution Unit worth Rs3.76 million, where Indian markings were found beneath tampered labels. A smaller shipment of Garnet Mesh 80, declared as Turkish origin, was also found to carry "Made in India" packaging, valued at Rs0.154 million. The Collectorate reaffirmed its resolve to act against importers involved in misdeclaration and illegal imports, saying such practices undermine national trade laws and fair competition.