KARACHI: The Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) of MCC Port Qasim has lodged 19 FIRs against M/s Quick Contractors & Traders for furnishing fake and forged documents to give color of lawful imports to vehicles otherwise not importable.

According to the details, M/s Quick Contractors & Traders imported old/used prime mover truck and sought clearance. The images of scanned documents inclusive of PSI certificate issued by M/s SGS Gulf Limited were uploaded into WeBOC system. PSI certificate is an essential instrument for importation and Customs clearance of imported prime mover trucks.

The goods were processed and cleared. Later, information was received that some elements imported vehicles on the basis of fake tempered PSI certificates.

Hence, the PSI certificates submitted by M/s Quick Contractors & Traders were forwarded to M/s SGS Gulf Limited for confirmation. Subsequently, it was found that all the documents submitted in their name were fake/forged and not issued by M/s SGS.

The CIU team comprises of Additional Collector, Assistant Collector Falik Shair have unearthed the scam while Collector Port Qasim Surrayya Ahmed Butt has formed the team for further investigating the case, which comprise of Assistant Collector Hina Gul, Principal Appraiser Safdar Abbas, Appraising Officer Saeed Soomro, Qasim Shaikh and Zulfikar Shakih.

It may be mentioned here that the importer had filed 19 Goods Declarations (GDs), of which eight vehicles were confiscated while the rest had already been cleared.

Efforts are being made to locate the released vehicles and arresting the nominated accused persons.

Officials informed that past data in this regard since 2013 was being scrutinized and it was expected that several FIRs would be lodged subsequently.

The local assemblers have time and again apprised Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) that old/used trcks, whicha re banned, were being imported in the name of refrigerated trucks. Later, these vehicles were being imported in garb of sprinkle lorries. Afterwards, these same vehicles were fitted with drums and imported as concrete mixtures.

And now these vehicles are being imported as prime mover trucks on fake PSI certificates. Customs is in litigation at different judicial platforms against several importers who imported trucks as concrete mixture.

Concrete mixtures that are not with company fitted drums have been seized by MCC Port Qasim, MCC Appraisement West and MCC Appraisement East.

http://customnews.pk/2015/01/import-prime-mover-trucks-forged-documents-mcc-port-qasim-prepared-contravention-section-32/