KARACHI: The Court of Special Judge (Customs, Taxation and Anti-Smuggling), Karachi has rejected the bail application of Muhammad Shakir Awan because of direct involvement in the import of high-value and prohibited goods in the garb of scrap tyres.
Court established that Shakir Awan is employee of M/s Riz Green Industries as well as M/s Shafaay International run by co-accused Waheed Anwar.
All the containers deliveries were managed by the accused on behalf of co-accused Waheed Anwar; that M/s Riz Green Industries was neither eligible for import of tyre scrap nor tyre scrap was imported for utilization by the said company as input material; that not a single consignment was delivered at the premises of M/s Riz Green Industries instead of this the consignments were delivered to other persons.
The accused is involved in preparing of fake and fabricated invoices and other documents and to ensure the delivery of consignments to their owners; that the accused in collusion and connivance with co-accused Waheed Anwar and other persons prepared fake invoices, managed fake SEPA license.
It may be mentioned here after filling of interim Challan mobile phone of Shakir Awan was forensically examined and during examination voice notes was discovered; that the said conversation fully implicate the accused in the commission of alleged offence. The Court has rejected the bail application of Shakir Awan.
Meanwhile, Sindh High Court struck down the application of Khawaja Shams-ul-Islam, counsel for M/s Riz Green Industries and M/s Shafaay International, praying shifting of the seized consignment to the CPF Bonded warehouse to avoid demurrage/port charges. Khawaja Shams-ul-Islam is not having any success in this case.
According to details of the case, M/s RIZ Green Industries, declared to be a manufacturer, imported various consignments through their authorized clearing agent M/s Shafaay International containing used Tyres Cut into Pieces under the purported license prima facie issued by Sind Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).
To verify the veracity of documents provided by the importer was forwarded to the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency. SEPA confirmed that they had not issued any approval license in favor of the M/s RIZ Green Industries. The EPA certificate which was disowned by provincial (SEPA) was uploaded by the importer.
The importer had hoodwinked the customs authorities and managed to clear restricted goods i.e. “used tyres cut in to pieces” under fake/forged license.
Sources said Chairman FBR is taking personal interest in this high profile case, and on his instructions Chief Collector Ashad Jawwad, Collector Appraisement East Aamir Theim and Collector Appraisement West Sanuallah Abro are efficiently progressing the investigations for a fool-proof prosecution.
Principal Appraiser Ghulam Yasin, AOs Taha Shaikh, Mohammad Riaz, Abid Sarfaraz, Mujahid Iqbal, Rashid Ali, Mohammad Naeem, Khizar Khurshid from MCC Appraisement West are conducting the investigation.
Similarly, PA Zafar Shabbir, AOs Ghani Soomro, Abdul Saboor, Malik Naeem from MCC Appraisement West are conducting the investigation.
It may be mentioned here that the accused M/s Riz Green Industries and M/s Shafaay International are habitual offenders and have been involved in evading government revenue and fraudulently importing banned items in the garb of steel scrap, used clothing, and tyre scrap etc.
It was also known that these known culprits acquire green channel profile companies and then misuse their status for their nefarious designs.