The Collectorate of Customs Enforcement in Karachi has exposed a major misdeclaration scam involving the import of restricted pharmaceutical raw material Ibuprofen, which was falsely declared as Ammonium Bicarbonate. The case, registered under FIR No. ASO-749/2025-HQ, revealed duty and tax evasion amounting to nearly Rs. 22.8 million along with violations of the Import Policy Order, 2022. The operation was detected and executed under the supervision of Chief Collector Basit Abbasi, with the enforcement team led by Collector Moiniddin Wani, ADC Yasir Kalwar, AC Taufiq Shaikh, and Appraising Officers Khizar Khurheed, Inamul Haq, and Faiz Ahmed.
According to the FIR, the importer M/s Huznab Enterprises, in connivance with their clearing agent M/s Siddiqui & Sons, attempted to clear 16,850 kilograms of Ibuprofen disguised as Ammonium Bicarbonate. The initial examination reports were manipulated, with genuine samples substituted to mislead the Customs Laboratory. Subsequent re-examination confirmed that the consignment contained Ibuprofen, a restricted item attracting higher duties and subject to import restrictions. This deliberate misdeclaration was designed to evade duties and taxes, resulting in a colossal loss to the national exchequer had it not been intercepted.
Officials confirmed that the fraud was orchestrated at the examination level, with no role of Customs assessment in the scam. The faceless clearance system has weakened Customs oversight, allowing scams to flourish at higher levels. Imports cleared via the green channel often bypass scrutiny, enabling unchecked misdeclarations. Fraudsters exploit the system by delaying the filing of Goods Declarations until their preferred examiners or inexperienced officers are rotated in. Labour at terminals reportedly assist importers by delaying container grounding until the opportune moment, further facilitating the fraud.
This case mirrors earlier scams detected in Karachi. In December 2025, the Collectorate of Customs Appraisement-West lodged FIR No. 16/2025, exposing large-scale misdeclaration of auto parts imported from Japan. That case involved concealment of 24,000 Universal Joints, 43 refurbished laptops, and misdeclared bearings, leading to duty evasion of Rs. 167 million. Similar situations have also emerged in Quetta, where Collector Jameel Baloch intercepted three suspicious containers. One consignment alone revealed Rs. 7.2 million in evasion, while others remain under scrutiny. Following his transfer, Collector Dawood Pirzado pursued the investigation further.
The Karachi Ibuprofen case underscores the growing sophistication of import frauds exploiting systemic weaknesses. Dry ports remain particularly vulnerable, with no appraisers available to check consignments. Appraisement Collectorates are rendered helpless, as assessment and examination are centralized, leaving them unable to detect scams. While enforcement teams under Chief Collector Basit Abbasi have successfully intercepted this scam, the recurring pattern from Karachi to Quetta highlights the urgent need for structural reforms in Customs examination and clearance systems.