KARACHI: MCC Appraisement East has lodged two FIRs against Irshadullah Magsi of M/s Bakhshi Enterprises to clear high value garments/cloth in the garb of used clothing through submitting forged documents.
Irshadullah Magsi of M/s Bakhshi Enterprises in connivance with agent M/s Alliance Shippers imported a consignment declared to be mixed used clothing, household rummage etc valuing Rs0.454 million.
The consignment was selected for scrutiny and was referred for examination, which led to recovery of new garments, leather garments, artificial jewelry along with mixed used clothing valuing Rs9.37 million. Had this consignment got cleared undetected, exchequer would have suffered a loss of Rs7.1 million in terms of duty and taxes.
Similarly, Irshadullah Magsi of M/s Bakhshi Enterprises in connivance with agent M/s Quick Deal imported a consignment declared to be mixed used clothing, household rummage etc valuing Rs0.47 million.
The consignment was selected for scrutiny and was referred for examination, which led to recovery of new garments, leather garments, artificial jewelry along with mixed used clothing valuing Rs9.6 million. Had this consignment got cleared undetected, exchequer would have suffered a loss of Rs7.0 million in terms of duty and taxes.
It may be mentioned here that used clothing import is prone to smuggling because of the green channel status accorded to used clothing. Recently, ASO MCC Preventive detected a mega scam wherein high value goods as well as banned goods were being imported and cleared in the garb of used clothing.
Certain senior Customs officers were also involved in the scam. However, the culprits got a clean chit after a plea bargain with NAB. They paid peanuts as compared to the losses national exchequer had suffered.
Certain Collectorates have put the used clothing in red category, but still used clothing is not in red channel in the RMS and WeBOC system. An official said used clothing was still being cleared through green channel at some collectorates.
Fabric is a high value goods and its legal import has reduced to very little, and mostly fabric and garments are cleared through mis-declaration in the garb of used clothing. These garments and clothe is then distributed into the markets of the country.
An official said each examination officer had to examine over 20 containers each day, and due to this over burdened, entire container is not examined. Taking advantage of this situation, the importers stuff used clothing at the outer end of the container while there are other high value goods inside.
Collector MCC Appraisement East Engineer Riaz Memon had advised Additional Collector Afzal Watto and Deputy Collector Sadaf Noor to tighten the examination. It is because of the vigilance the above mentioned consignment were selected and examined by Muhammad Hubban Appraising Officer.
After the undeclared goods were recovered from the consignments of M/s Bakhshi Enterprises, Collector referred this case to Additional Collector R&D Yasin Murtaza. Yasin Murtaza is a very competent and reputed officer.
Murtaza formed a team comprising Principal Appraiser Shahrukh, Malak Hashim and Appraising Officer Tauseef to investigate the case. An FIR is lodged and investigations are under way.