KARACHI: Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Karachi has lodged an FIR against several persons including an Assistant Collector and an Examination Officer for colluding with the iron and steel importers in their attempt to defraud government exchequer through misdeclaring imported goods.
According to details, Director I&I Karachi Yaqoob Mako had assigned Deputy Director Adnan Rafique to look into an imported consignment at MCC Port Qasim, which was reexamined after being blocked by the Examination officer.
FIR is lodged against M/s Mehmood Steel Furnace, M/s Realex International, Assistant Collector Omar Latif and Examination Officer Waqar Khan for indulging in deliberate and engineered mis-declaration of description and quantity of actual goods to evade duty and taxes.
According to details, online scrutiny found that a consignment declared to contain HMS iron and steel coming from Jebel Ali was examined by the staff of MCC Port Qasim in suspicious way as the original examining officer whom GD was assigned by the system for examination was sent to leave upon his refusal to unlawful favor to the importers.
The GD had been blocked by Assistant Collector reverted the GD for examination. It was known that Collectorate’s officers were trying to cover up the willful wrongdoing through re-examination of the blocked consignment.
Deputy Director I&I Adnan Rafique conducted the examination of the consignment and found gross mis-declaration of quantity, description and value of the imported goods. An FIR is lodged and investigations are underway.
An official said Director Yaqoob Mako had directed to include names of the Assistant Collector and Examination Officer in the FIR to send a message to all officers and officials that no leniency would be tolerated.