KARACHI: The Model Customs Collectorate of Appraisement East has lodged an FIR against an importer for forging FTA certificate to take undue benefit of concessionary SRO and defrauding national exchequer.
According to the details of the case, an information was received in the Model Customs Collectorate (East), Custom House, Karachi to the effect that some unscrupulous importers and their associates are indulged in the forgery of Free Trade Agreement Certificates (FTA) with an intent to deceive Customs and avail undue benefit of concessionary regime notified vide SRO 659(1)/2007.
Accordingly, in pursuance to the said information, an exercise was undertaken by the Collectorate for post release verification from FTA certificates issuing authority in China. Consequently, M/s Zhejiang Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of the People‘s Republic of China reported that the subject FTA certificate has been found to be tempered by the importer with an intent to defraud the national exchequer.
Preliminary investigation has indicated that FTA certificate utilized is found forged / tempered by the importer namely M/s. M Hakim International and thereby loss of revenue to the tune of Rs.8,45,285 has been inflicted to the national exchequer.
In view of aforementioned corroborative evidence provided by the Chinese authorities, there is no doubt that importer has made a deliberate attempt to defraud exchequer and evade the legitimate revenue amounting to Rs.8,45,285.
Efforts are underway to recover the said amount and also expose the other offenders who are indulged in the similar attempt of furnishing forged / fake FTA certificates for obtaining benefit of concessionary regime which they were not entitled otherwise.
Collector Appraisement East Najeeb Abbasi has formed a team to scrutiny the FTA related imports to find out revenue leakage in similar manner
Additional Collector Zeba Bashir, Deputy Collector Arshad Khan, Principal Appraiser Shafiuillah, appraising Officer Azher Abbas and Preventive Officer Hashim Malak are the members of the team.
sources said that the team has detected three more cases in which revenue was evaded through forged FTA certificates. These cases have been sent to the collector seeking approval to lodge FIR. It was learnt that the evaded amount was nominal but the incident was severe i.e. forgery, hence FIRs are expected.