KARACHI: Directorate of Customs Intelligence Karachi on an information seized telecommunication equipment and accessories including energy storage units and accessories etc. imported by cellular companies including Telenor, Zong and PTCL.
Details revealed that the seized goods were being cleared by mis-declaring the PCT and concealing the actual value from Appraisement (West) Collectorate Karachi port.
In response, to a query Director Customs Intelligence Muhammad Asif Marghoob Siddiqui told that three seized containers were taken into custody by Customs Intelligence Karachi on April 21, 2015which were being cleared through green channel under self-assessment scheme.
Value of the seized goods in customs clearance documents was declared as Rs21 million against payment of duties and taxes amounting to Rs0.9million. Imported goods and related documents were minutely scrutinized by Customs official and it came to light that actual value of the seized goods was Rs91 million with leviable duties and taxes as Rs 43.8 million.
The importer and clearing agent were unable to provide any plausible explanation for not paying the actual leviable duties and taxes, when confronted by the senior officers of Customs Intelligence.
Accordingly the goods were seized for violation of different sections of Customs Act, 1969, Sales Tax Act, 1990 and Income Tax Ordinance-2001 and were given in the custody of the port terminal operator.
A formal seizure as per requirement of law has been forwarded to concerned adjudicating authority so that short paid duties and taxes are deposited into government treasury. On telephonic contact, Director Customs Intelligence told that the subject seizure has been made and added that this is the second seizure of such nature during the last ten days.
In earlier seizure telecommunication equipments of Mobilink worth more than Rs70 million were seized. He informed that during last one year customs intelligence Karachi has detected many cases of evasion of duty and taxes worth billions of rupees in the import of national and international mobile companies operating in Pakistan.
He further emphasized that previous such imports of mobile companies need to be examined in order to ensure that legitimate duties and taxes have been paid and for this purpose Customs Intelligence has initiated an exercise.