KARACHI: Directorate of Customs Intelligence & Investigation has lodged FIR against M/s Zubair Steel for evasion of government revenue on import of galvanized, electro galvanized and hot rolled, cold rolled steel sheets through mis-declaration of origin of goods.
Information was received from Director General I&I Shaukat Ali in the Regional Office, Karachi that M/s Zubair Steel was involved in huge evasion of duty and taxes on import of steel sheets of Korean and Mexican origin through submission of concocted House BLs and FTA Certificates to claim exemption of duty by showing origin of goods as China.
The goods were actually supplied by Korean and Mexican suppliers and shipped directly from Korea and Mexico. However, in majority of Goods Declarations the port of shipment and origin is mis-declared as China on the basis of House BLs issued by Korean based freight forwarders.
Director I&I Enforcement Samina Wajid formed a team headed by Deputy Director Tauseef Gorchani and comprising Superintendent Fakhar Ali Shah and others to pursue the case.
In pursuance of the information, Customs I&I Karachi detected evasion of duty and taxes of Rs18.733 million on import of steel sheets from Korea and Mexico by M/s. Zubair Steel, which were cleared against benefit of Pak-China FTA through submission of concocted House BLs issued by Korean based freight forwarders showing shipment of goods from China.
On retrieval of Master BLs from freight forwarders and shipping companies, shipments in respect of 10 consignments were directly made from Korea while one consignment was shipped from Mexico. The benefit of FTA was claimed through mis-declaration of origin as China on the basis of fabricated FTA certificates.
Out of 11 consignments, 10 were cleared from MCC, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim against 27 ex-bond GDs and one GD for home consumption while one consignment was cleared through MCC Appraisement (West), Karachi against six ex-bond GDs during the period November, 2014 to April 2017.