KARACHI: Superintendent Special Intelligence Unit (SIU) Dost Muhammad, irritated by the interference of officers, has left the charge of his office.
Director Fayyaz Anwar, Additional Director Ali Zaman Gardezi and Assistant Director Dr. Zohaib were interfering in his work, and released an accused Abdullah, who was arrested by Anti-smuggling Organisation (ASO).
According to the details, Dost Muhammad detected massive revenue evasion and money laundering by the investors of Export Promotion Zone (EPZ).
Two EPZ companies namely M/s Steel Vision Pvt ltd and M/s Royal Impex Pvt ltd were reportedly found to be involved in importing steel products and subsequent clandestine removal of these goods to the market causing huge revenue loss to the national exchequer.
Superintendent Dost Muhammad made a case against the EPZ investors and submitted before the court that the accused were defrauding the government with the active patronage of Customs officers/officials, but the Court barred SIU from taking any coercive action against the accused.
In compliance with the directives of the Court, Irshad Shah of ASO arrested Abdullah, Director M/s Steel Vision in a separate case referred by Dost Muhammad.
Interestingly, Director Fayyaz Anwar, Additional Director Ali Zaman Gardezi and Assistant Director Dr Zohaib released the arrested accused while Dost Muhammad was in Court explaining that the accused was arrested in a different case.
Sources said it is a mega case of revenue evasion, smuggling and money laundering.
It may be mentioned here that LCs were opened by commercial importers M/s Zubair Steel and M/s Muhammad Rizwan S. Bros, but the consignments were cleared to EPZ to M/s Steel Vision and M/s Royal Impex, as the Bills of Lading were tampered. Subsequently, these goods are removed to commercial market.
On average Rs30 million of revenue is evaded on each consignment, and so far over a hundred such consignments have been identified.
Moreover, there are evidence that LCs were opened more than once for several consignments i.e. payments were made more than once for one consignment, thus transfering funds abroad illegally.
Disturbed with the state of affairs and over interference of above mentioned officers, Superintendent SIU Dost Muhammad left the charge of his office.
Export Promotion Zone does not serve any purpose but corruption and controlled smuggling. Customs authorities have detected massive revenue evasion and smuggling through EPZ.
Fayyaz Anwar and Ali Zaman Gardezi are known to be accomplices of former Director General Customs Intelligence Shaukat Ali, who is facing several inquiries and investigations for patronising smuggling.
Dost Muhammad was appointed Superintendent in-charge of SIU by Director General Zahid Khokar as Khokar is straightening the affairs at the Customs Intelligence and Investigation and cleansing it of rogue elements, but officers like Fayyaz Anwar and Ali Zaman Gardezi are impeding the process.