KARACHI: Anti-smuggling organization (ASO), MCC Preventive has seized a container loaded with chemical for shoe industry and baby diapers, as the goods were being replaced enroute to the dry port, Lahore.
Information was received to the effect that some un-scrupulous elements are importing commercial goods of higher value/duty slab under the umbrella of transshipment for upcountry. The modus-operandi evolved is that these containers are cleared from the port area and instead of taking them to upcountry they are taken to various godowns in the city or stopped on the road at some conducive place. Eventually after breaking the seal of container, the higher value/duty slab goods are offloaded and the containers are stuffed with low value/duly slab goods.
It was known that a container meant for transshipment to Lahore is parked on road near M/s Lawa Friends Carrier Transport Co, Hawks bay Road, Karachi for illegal motives. In pursuance of the above information, a raiding party was constituted which reached at the spot and found the container. The driver of the vehicle standing beside the vehicle, introduced himself as Sajjad Hussain was asked about the container, to which he replied that the container loaded on the vehicle was cleared from KICT for Lahore and the carrier trawler belongs to M/s. Lawa Friends Carrier Transport Co, Karachi and as per instruction of the owner namely Muhammad Khan, the Customs seal was broken and some local goods were loaded in the container due to availability of sufficient space inside the container.
Cursorily, search of the container found that the seal of the container was broken. The driver was asked to produce the documents regarding the container with broken seal, to which he produced one import GD showing the name of consignee as M/s Bata Pakistan Limited, Lahore. The said driver also produced a broken seal. As per documents produced by the driver, it has transpired that it is a case of Safe Transportation/Transshipment for onward transportation on behalf of bonded carrier namely M/s. DHL Global Forwarding (Pvt) Ltd, Karachi in a private bond of M/s Bata Pakistan Limited.
A team headed by Deputy Collector Mohammad Faisal, SPS K.M Tabassum, IPS Abrar Ahmed, Azhar Hussain, SPOs Mohammad Yousaf, Tayyab Khan, Mohammad Tariq, Mohammad Ejaz, Malik Safdar pursued the case.