KARACHI: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) caught and lodged FIR against Customs officials Tariq Mehmood and Yawar Abbas, Saqif Saeed, Collector Customs currently posted as Director Afghan Transit Trade; Usman Bajwa, Collector Customs presently posted as Collector, Export Collectorate, and Amir Thaeem, Collector of customs, presently posted as Collector Enforcement, Karachi for facilitating smuggling and receiving bribes from smugglers.
According to details, a team of FIA Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC) on the basis of information conducted an operation. Customs officials namely Tariq Mehmood and Yawar Abbas were detained by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) during a raid conducted at Airport Karachi. These officials were going to Islamabad.
The FIA team intercepted the accused customs officials from the domestic departure lounge and after due introduction of the raiding team asked the accused customs officials to show their identities, both the officials introduced themselves as Tariq Mehmood, superintendent (ASO), presently posted at Anti-Smuggling, NMB-Wharf and Yawar Abbas, Superintendent Operation, Anti-Smuggling Directorate, Intelligence & Investigation, Customs Karachi, respectively.
The raiding party found the Customs officials’ vehicle parked at the parking lot. The search of the vehicle was also conducted on spot, which resulted into recovery of R million cash, US Dollar 2,406 and UAE Dirham 6,100. Upon recovery of such huge amount from their vehicle, both the accused customs officials failed to give any plausible reply rather voluntarily admitted that the said amount is a speed money which was collected by them from customs check post, mochko, District Kemari, Karachi to distribute among various customs officials viz concerned Collector, Additional Collector, Deputy Collector, Superintendent, SPS, SPO and POs.
The monthly collection from all customs check posts i.e. Mochko, Mach Goth, Sohrab Goth and Ghaggar Phatak is approximately Rs40 to Rs50 million. Moreover, the monthly collection in facilitation of smuggling of betel nut is around Rs.60 million approximately.
Hence, the recovered incriminating material mentioned above were seized FIA team brought both the accused customs officials along with recovered incriminating material at P.S FIA ACC Karachi for further probe in relation with their connection with the smugglers and facilitating then smugglers through organized manner.
During further interrogation, both the accused customs officials Tariq Mehmood and Yawar Abbas had once again admitted to facilitate the smugglers to transport smuggled goods from border areas of Baluchistan to Karachi via land routes in organized manner.
They further disclosed the names of other officers of customs who are beneficiaries of bribe / speed money amount received from smugglers against facilitating the transportation of smuggled goods. Furthermore, accused persons also admitted that Usman Bajwa (Ex-Collector Enforcement) had received speed money / bribe of Rs160 million in the month of March 2023 to April 2023 in shape of Cash and Gold.
Custom officers receiving major shares from the speed money collected at various custom check posts against providing facilitation to smugglers include Saqif Saeed. In 2020, Saqif Saeed got posted as Collector Enforcement who started organized smuggling network and posted his trusted accomplices in anti-smuggling role who were collecting the speed money from different smugglers.
After Saqif Saeed, Usman Bajwa was posted as Collector Enforcement who continued to facilitate the smugglers to carry on their network against the huge bribe / speed money amounting to Rs100 million per month approximately.
In Feb 2023, Amir Thaeem took over the charge as Collector Enforcement and kept providing the umbrella to the smugglers of miscellaneous goods as well as betel nut.
Accused Tariq Mehmood has disclosed that one Imran Noorani is running the smuggling network of betel nut from border areas of Baluchistan to Karachi and further distributes the smuggled betel nut to other consumers/buyers.
lmran Noorani is also running Chhalia factory in the name and style of M/s. Sunny Products near Shafiq Technical School Shershah Industrial Area Karachi.
The facts, documentary / digital evidence recovered from the possession of accused Tariq Mehmood and Yawar Abbas and enquiry conducted so far, prima facie established contravention of sections 5(2) PCA 1947 and section 156 (8) (89) of Customs Act 1969 R/w 109 PPC.
Both Yawar Abbas and Tariq Mehmood have been suspended while ex-Pakistan leave of Saquif Saeed is cancelled.