KARACHI: The Post Clearance Audit (PCA) South has unearthed another illegal pilferage of confiscated goods from Karachi Airport’s Royal Service Terminal. Led by DG PCA Chaudhary Zulfiqar Ali and Director PCA South, Sheeraz Ahmed, the PCA team uncovered another case of theft that underscores systematic manipulation to misappropriate confiscated / government owned goods valued at a staggering Rs 23 million.
Based on its intelligence network, PCA South had received crucial tip-off that unscrupulous importers were involved in pilfering mis-declared goods (liquid food flavors, machine parts, electronic items, aluminum sheets etc.) from the sea ports and airports which had been “confiscated” by the adjudicating authorities on account of misdeclarations. Based on initial scrutiny, PCA lodged three FIRs against M/s Sadiq Jahan Lahori & Company, M/s Glowell Industries (Private) Limited, and M/s Znz Brands who suppressed and defied the adjudication orders to misappropriate confiscated goods in league with port authorities and customs functionaries. PCA’s further scrutiny has exposed another case of theft and misappropriation of government property as M/s Quality Flavors (Pvt) Ltd. Lahore fraudulently misappropriated confiscated goods from the Karachi Airport’s Royal Service Terminal.
The Adjudicating authority confiscated the offending goods (Liquid Food Flavour) in an import GD mis-declared by M/s Quality Flavors (Pvt) Ltd. Lahore; while granting the importer the option to redeem confiscated goods upon payment of redemption fine totaling Rs 8.12 million, in terms of SRO 499(I)/2009, dated 13.6.2009. The importers fraudulently obtained possession of “confiscated” goods without settling the redemption fines, thus effectively stealing government property from the Karachi airport’s goods terminal. This clandestine operation resulted in the loss of government owned goods worth Rs. 23 million. This is the fourth case of misappropriation of confiscated goods, and PCA authorities apprehend that the scope of this intricate scam can be much wider. The sophisticated fraud poses challenging questions about airport security and compliance, pointing to serious systemic flaws.
PCA South has lodged FIR implicating importer M/s Quality Flavors (Pvt) Ltd. Lahore, besides also implicating their accomplices and clearing agent i.e. M/s Danish Iqbal Enterprises. PCA teams have been mobilized to arrest the accused fraudsters and their accomplices who connived in the organized theft. PCA South’s efforts in detecting this intricate fraud reaffirm their commitment to upholding integrity within customs and airport operations. The authorities have vowed to tighten audit controls and enhance compliance monitoring with full force of the law.
The unearthing of this intricate fraud serves as a glaring testament to the complexities and challenges inherent within airport operations and customs clearances. It also highlights the necessity for heightened vigilance and reformative measures to safeguard governmental assets from falling prey to scurrilous activities. With special teams mobilized and the investigations accelerating, the FBR is determined to expose all criminals involved in the misappropriation of government owned confiscated goods. This scandal serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which criminal entities can go to rob the national exchequer. FBR’s stern actions are aimed at sending a strong message to potential fraudsters to preempt recurrence of such crimes.