KARACHI: MCC Port Qasim has unearthed an innovative scam, wherein certain importers have found a way to manipulate the Custom’s risk management system to evade government’s legitimate revenue.

M/s Al-Aziz & Co imported a consignment comprising 09 containers stuffed with various sizes of tyre with flaps of China origin worth Rs6.828 million. Importer uploaded a packing list of one container containing 260 tyres. WeBOC System selected that particular container out of nine containers for examination, which was duly examined and found goods containing as per packing list.

However, Information was received through Collector Port Qasim Saeed Akram to Additional Collector Yasin Murtaza regarding the methodical mis-declaration being made through jumbling of high value items into lesser quantity and vice verse.

Subsequently, Deputy Collector Ahsan Shah, Principal Appraiser Shahid Rizvi, Appraising Insram Rabbani and Anwer zeb examined all the containers. The examination found that the importer had declared low value tyres instead of the actual high value and high tariff tyres. The value of the consignment was found to be Rs17.236 million against the declared Rs6.828 million.

It is pertinent to highlight that in all the 8 containers, two sizes of tyres have been placed in a similar fashion. In Fact, there was higher probability of marking of any of these container; by the system for examination but neither the system selects any container among them nor the importer provides packing list of any of these containers at the time of filing GD.

In only one container, 260 tyres of -1100-R2018PR- have been placed. Surprisingly, importer uploads the Packing List of this container before filing of GD and the system also selects the same container for examination.

This unscrupulous importers have cleverly anticipated the selection criteria of the system, which was based on minimal probability in the instant case.

Had this deliberate offence gone undetected and goods have been gated out in garb of declared quantity, the government would have suffered a loss of revenue totaling Rs10.25 million.  A contravention report has been framed for adjudication proceedings.

Sources said these elements have found a way and the Risk Management System is being manipulated and several other goods including refrigerators, electronics and auto parts are being cleared in the same way, thus inflicting huge loss on to the exchequer. They have cracked the system and the container, which is selected for examination is usually the one with correct details.

Sources said after the smuggling through Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) was eliminated, certain importers have found other ways such as TP replacement, mis-declaration, under-invoicing and misuse of concessionary SROs to go with their dirty business.