KARACHI: The Customs has initiated investigations on the reports that cargo is being replaced from the containers lying at the terminals wherein, low value goods are replaced with high value or in some cases banned goods.

The authorities have information that un-manifested consignments are lying at the terminals. According to the reported modus operandi, certain importers bring consignments of very low value goods attracting very low rate of duty and taxes. The Examiner after examination of the container filed the examination report as per the contents of the consignment. However, it has been known that the Examining Officer does not impose the seal on the container instead, the seal is handed over to the container terminal staff.

Sources said that the consignments containing low value goods, which already have been examined are replaced with high value and in some cases banned goods during the night and after than the seal is imposed on the containers. These high value goods are removed from the un-manifested containers. In this way high value and banned goods are being cleared. These un-manifested containers later become frustrated cargo.

The reason is that the department is quite short of examination staff and each examining officer is over burdened. An official said that an examiner can only examine 10 single-item containers at most in a day and if a containers comprise of multiple goods, at most five containers can be examined. However, record shows that every examining officer is examining over 20 containers per day to avoid pilling up, which leaves room for the bad guys to take advantage.

It was also known that some shipping agents and terminal staff are conniving with the unscrupulous elements. There are also reports that these importers have more than one Bill of Lading even tailored-made Bill of Lading to cover their wrongdoings.

Collector Appraisement East Majid Yousafani has written to NLC Terminal and PICT that all the containers at their terminals lying abandoned for over a month should be affixed with lot numbers for auction, so that these abandoned containers could be examined.

It has been known that over 300 containers are lying at PMS yard of PICT and despite clear instructions the same have not been affixed with auction lot numbers. Majid Yousfani has advised PICT to provide a list of the numbers of all containers lying at the terminal because a team is reportedly being formed to conduct an inspection in this regard. PICT has been advised to list each and every container as no excuse would be admissible afterwards.