The Customs Enforcement in Karachi has lodged an FIR against several companies, including M/s Tanveer & Company (Pvt) Ltd, M/s RAH Shipping & Logistics SMC Pvt Ltd, and M/s Cargo Logistics International (a subsidiary of M/s Bilal Associates). This action followed credible information from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to key officials, including Collector Moinuddin Wani, Additional Collector Basit Hussain, Deputy Collector Raza Naqvi, and Superintendent Habib Meo.
The IB reported that a truck with registration number JU-2401, carrying container INKU-6417040, was transporting smuggled goods, such as contraband cigarettes and LCD monitors, to a dumping site near Bahria Transshipment Hub of Pakistan Limited on Hub River Road, Karachi. Acting on this tip-off, the Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) was deployed to the location for surveillance.
On November 18, 2024, at 11:10 PM, the ASO team intercepted the truck on Hub River Road. In the presence of witnesses Niaz Hussain and Rana Azeem, both Preventive Officers, the driver was asked about the contents of the container. He presented documents, including Form-A for Bonded Carrier, Form-A for the agent, a Transport Note, a Delivery Note, and a Weighment Certificate, which declared the cargo as 66 bales of second-hand used clothes weighing 18,330 kilograms.
Given the credible intelligence, the officials decided to verify the actual contents. Upon breaking the seals, the initial inspection revealed bales of second-hand used clothes, but further examination uncovered cartons containing foreign-origin cigarettes and LCD monitors. Since the import of these cigarettes is prohibited and the monitors were dutiable, the suspicion of smuggling was confirmed.
The driver was given time to produce legal documentation, but no claimant appeared, nor were any lawful documents provided. Consequently, the truck, container, and recovered items were moved to the State Warehouse in Maripur for detailed examination and further legal actions. A detailed report, known as musheernama, was prepared on-site.
Smuggling through transit trade has significantly declined due to a rigorous anti-smuggling campaign, leading to a shift towards inter-movement and transshipment cargo. An official stated that those involved in pilferage of NATO/ISAF cargo have taken control of terminal operators by acquiring shareholding and setting up their off-dock terminals. These actions allow them to replace cargo at off-dock terminals without Customs checks.
The Manifest Clearance Department (MCD), responsible for monitoring cargo movement, was deactivated, leaving no record or checks on consignments arriving by ship. Customs examination staff, including the Deputy Collector, are overwhelmed, often leaving the task of affixing seals to terminal operators, who can manipulate containers ready for gate out.
This situation highlights the ongoing challenges in combating smuggling and ensuring effective Customs enforcement.
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