KARACHI: The investigations into the recovery and seizure of acetic anhydride (chemical used for making heroin and plastic explosives) are progressing fast and 226 drums of the chemical recovered by R&D Appraisement East have been sent to laboratory to ascertain the specifications. Meanwhile, MCC Preventive has submitted the FIR at Anti-narcotics Court pertaining to seizure of 22 tons of acetic anhydride from a container at NLC terminal.
The investigations into the clearance of the chemical from Appraisement East and subsequent recovery of most of the commodity by R&D East has several aspects. It has been established that when the GD for the subject consignment was filed declaring the goods at windshield washing fluid, the competent Examiner Ghulam Abbas retrieved a sample and sent it to laboratory. Sending the sample to laboratory transfers the GD to the laboratory. The laboratory instead of uploading the test report of sample into the Weboc system, called for the literature of the goods and routed the GD back to assessment.
The assessment staff on the basis of literature provided by the importer cleared the GD as the test report was not uploaded in the system and the manually dispatched report was not communicated, because the report was not sought from the receipt clerk. Assessment officer should have referred the case to Principal Appraiser or Deputy Collector.
It is also interesting to note that the quantity of goods was declared to be 700KG of windshield washing fluid while the assessed quantity was 14,000 KG. Despite this discrepancy, Appraising officer cleared the GD.
It is quite pertinent to mention here that the Appraising Officer who cleared the GD is a very well reputed and competent official and has a very clean record. And no any leniency in the discharge of his responsibilities were ever observed.
The clearing agent named Zafar has been arrested by R&D East while absconding agent who deposited the pay order for duty and tax.
The importer involved in the case has got cleared six consignments of which three were cleared from Appraisement East and three from other collectorates. Two of the three consignments of this importer M/s Al-Abdaal Traders cleared from Appraisement East were of paper.