KARACHI: The US Consulate General has approached Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Ministry of Defense claiming the ownership of the goods recovered from two warehouses in Karachi.
Sources said, the US Consulate General has written to Pakistan Customs and the Ministry maintaining that the goods were not pilfered, instead these were some leftover goods and were stored at difference facilities adding that these were to be exported later.
It may be mentioned here that MCC Preventive has sealed two warehouses owned by M/s Bilal Associates (now M/s Bilal Logistics (Pvt) Ltd) as large number of empty containers and military equipment were recovered from there, which were pilfered earlier.
US Consulate’s representative Iftikhar Haider also held meetings with MCC Preventive officers to press their claims regarding the ownership of goods, which had been kept in a very suspicious manner. Moreover, scrapping of empty containers at the similar warehouses also hints something fishy.
It may be mentioned here that US Authorities as well as NATO/ISAF have never complained regarding pilferage or theft of any of their goods. US Consulate has also declared time and again that none of their goods transported through Afghan Transit Trade ever got missing.
Their claims come quite confusing since Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Directorate General of Transit Trade detected massive pilferage of US Army/NATO/ISAF supplies and subsequent reverse cargo. Even, the reverse cargo containers declared to containing generators, batteries and other goods were found to be stuffed with cement blocks at the port of exit. Moreover, German authorities confirmed that US Army/NATO/ISAF reverse cargo containers destined to Germany were found empty when received.
Overall 45 US Army/NATO/ISAF containers were caught red-handed while being pilfered of which Directorate of Transit Trade caught 25 containers and lodged FIRs while 08 containers were found empty at Port Qasim while 12 containers were exported to Germany and were found empty there. But, no FIR was lodged in this regard.
DG Transit Trade and DG Intelligence & Investigations Customs have lodged several FIRs pertaining to the pilferage of transit cargo nominating several transporters and agents. Despite these FIRs, US Consulate is continuing doing business with these accused transporters and agents.
More importantly, the US Consulate’s focal person in violation of the obligation under Customs General Order (CGO)-10, has never appeared before the authorities for hearing despite several notices.
Sources said that this entire game has become a high profile case and sensitive agencies have involved in the investigation.