KARACHI: MCC Port Qasim has finally lodged an FIR against M/s Master Beverages & Food Limited initiating criminal proceedings against the company pertaining to fiscal fraud.
MCC Port Qasim has booked, CEO, directors of M/s Master Beverages & Food Limited and clearing agents M/s S.M SAdiq & Sons for mis-declaring the value of their consignment on the basis of fake and bogus invoice concealing original invoice of higher value.
Principal Appraiser Ahmed Nawaz detected this massive evasion. Collector Mukarram Jah formed a team comprising Additional Collector Mohammad Tahir, Deputy Collector Tahir Abbas, Principal Appraiser Asad Aleem and Tariq Azeez to further investigate the case.
According to details, M/s. Master Beverages and Food Limited, Gujranwala imported a consignment said to contain ‘Partial Shipment out of supply of a water/beverage filing line plant with standard accessories from Germany, which was manifested at MCC Port Qasim.
The importer filed Goods Declaration on self-assessment basis under WeBOC system through their authorized clearing agent M/s. S.M Sadiq & Sons, Karachi.
The importer declared the PCT heading of imported goods as 8422.3000 and claimed exemption of Sales Tax in excess of 10 percent against PDC for the sum of Rs9.989 million. The importer declared the value of imported goods as euro1.13 million and accordingly determined liability of payment of applicable duties and taxes and paid a total amount of duty/taxes Rs30.944 million on self assessment basis and sought clearance.
However, the computerized system selected the Goods Declaration under red category for detailed scrutiny and assessment. Scrutiny of the documents scanned by the importer revealed that an unsigned copy of Invoice submitted in the system showing therein import value of the consignment as EURO 1.13 million.
On query through WeBOC system, the accused electronically provided another Invoice indicating same description and value.
Meanwhile, information was received to the effect that importer had concealed the actual invoice of the subject consignment in order to deprive the government of its legitimate revenue of duty and taxes.
MCC Port Qasim accordingly started an enquiry to check veracity of the information.
Subsequently, M/s Al-Baraka Bank, Gujranwala intimated that M/s Master Beverages had opened Letter of Credit (LC) against the instant consignment for euro 4.5 million. However, the LC was cancelled after the arrival of goods at Pakistan port.
In order to probe the matter further, MCC Port Qasim approached the Commercial Counselor, Consulate General of Pakistan, Commercial Wing, Frankfurt with the request to approach M/s Krones AG for verification of invoice produced by M/s Master Beverages and Foods for the clearance of the consignment showing therein the value of the consignment as Euro 1.13 million. In response, Commercial Counselor intimated that the matter was taken up with M/s. Krones for verification who disowned the issuance of said invoice and showed their ignorance as well.
Besides, M/s Krones supplied the original Proforma Invoice wherein the actual value of the consignment has been shown as euro 7.38 million.
M/s Master Beverages & Food Limited is already facing adjudication proceedings, After receiving approval from Chief Collector Abdul Rasheed Shaikh, MCC Port Qasim has lodged an FIR under Section 32(1) and 32(2) in this regard.