KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has taken over the investigations pertaining to corruption of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) enquiry was confusing the case and favoring those involved.
NAB has summoned Director Internal Audit Customs Akhtar Hussain to appear in person before Deputy Director Benish Jawaid on October 02, 2019 to answer certain queries.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has already taken over the case pertaining to clearance of high value and restricted goods in the garb of used clothing and scrap, which may be the biggest scam in the history of Pakistan Customs, as certain elements in Customs are protecting the accused culprits and weakening the prosecution. Deputy Collector ASO Preventive Akbar Jan had detected the scam.
In 2017, used clothing and scrap were included in the green channel and several companies were given green channel status in violation of rules. This was done to benefit certain elements.
Former Director General Customs Intelligence and Investigation Shaukat Ali had been playing havoc with anti-smuggling operations of Pakistan Customs. Shaukat Ali had taken the entire Customs Intelligence & Investigation hostage and his front man Mushtaq Sarghana was running the department and patronizing the organized smuggling. Mushtaq Sarghana is a retired Customs constable.
Not only that Shaukat Ali with the help of his associates in Customs enabled smugglers, he also weakened the enforcement as competent and honest officers/officials were transferred to other provinces, which was unprecedented.
Then Deputy Collector ASO Preventive Muhammad Faisal had detected a mega-scam wherein mobile phones were being smuggled through green channel by M/s Digicom (Qmobile), and evasion of duty/tax by M/s digicom on import of LED lights. However, Shaukat Ali through his influence got the case weakened.
An official said the scam which in fact is financial terrorism got pace in 2017 when Haroon Akhtar was Advisor Revenue and Shaukat Ali assumed the office of Director General Customs Intelligence and Investigation.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has already sought details of Shaukat Ali’s assets in Pakistan and abroad as well as record of his ex-Pakistan leave.
Sources said Shaukat Ali is the father of organized and protected smuggling wherein mammoth quantity of restricted and banned items including liquor and chemicals were imported and cleared through green channel.
It was also known that former DG Customs I&I Shaukat Ali had been frequently visiting Dubai, where he was making deals with the smugglers and the anti-state elements sponsoring this financial terrorism.
It was also known that Shaukat Ali was receiving money for his ‘services’ in Dubai and other countries. It may be mentioned here that money made through smuggling was the prime source of funding anti-social and terrorist elements in the country.