QUETTA: Directorate of Transit Trade Chaman has lodged an FIR against several persons including Aghan Customs border agent for attempting to smuggle Pakistan origin goods to India in the garb of transit trade facility by using fake registration number of transporting vehicle.
Information was passed through Director Aamir Theim to Deputy Director Kaleem Vagan that a truck bearing registration number Z-2645 carrying golden raisin will be used to smuggle Pakistan origin goods from Chaman to India in the garb of transit trade facility.
A transit trade GD was filed for golden raisin weighing 16.6 tons along with phytosanitary certificates issued by Afghan government in the name of Afghan exporter M/s New Yaqoubi Ltd. M/s M. Shah Muhammad and Company clearing and forwarding agent (Border Agent) filed the GD at Transit Trade office Chaman.
Customs staff inspected the vehicle No Z-2645. Later on, when the Customs staff proceeded for sealing and mounting the tracking device on the vehicle, the truck was not found in Customs yard. On scrutiny, it was revealed the clearing agent had fraudulently removed the registration plate of the transit vehicle No. TKE-582 and replaced it with fake registration No. Z-2645 and got the GD processed for the fake registration number.
Subsequently, the transit vehicle TKE-582 left the Customs yard after necessary processing of transit trade documents. The scrutiny of Customs documents revealed that the transit goods were examined by the officials of Customs Transit Trade Chaman and as per examination report the truck No. Z-2645 was found loaded with 1040 Cartons, weighing 16,640 Kgs, of Golden Raisin of Afghan Origin valuing $16,800.
The preliminary investigation was carried out which revealed that examination staff after examination of goods out of charged the Goods Declaration. However, at the time of installation of intrusion belt and fixing of Customs seal, it was found the required vehicle No. Z-2645 was not available in the Customs yard.
Clearing agent M/s M. Shah Muhammad and Company could not give any plausible justification in this regard.
Investigations found the said truck actually did not enter into Pakistan, and the goods loaded on the vehicle were of Pakistan origin, and an attempt was made to smuggle Pakistan origin goods to India in the garb of transit trade facility by using fake registration number on another vehicle No TKE-582, which was in fact a transit vehicle and had earlier been processed vide another GD.
Later the border agent produced the missing truck and it was observed the truck No Z-2645 loaded with transit goods was different in appearance than the vehicle examined earlier. Moreover, the packing and marks/numbers were also different.
The purpose of adopting this modus operandi was to fraudulently use the vehicle Z-2645, parked somewhere outside the Customs Yard, loaded with the Pakistani origin goods (non-transit goods), to smuggle the same to India in the garb of transit goods.
The role of M/s Bolan Logistic (Pvt) Limited Karachi, Bonded Carrier, regarding unauthorized / illegal attempt of smuggling Pakistani origin goods, fake presentation of truck bearing registration No. Z-2645 loaded with Golden Raisin and affixing of Fake registration number plate is being looked into.
Therefore, 1040 cartons of Golden Raisin having marks No. “MS Quality Dry Fruits”, along with truck bearing registration No.Z-2645 (Peshawar) have been seized.
It is pertinent to mention here that the truck bearing Registration No.TKE-582 was cleared from Transit Office Chaman vide GD No.2261 dated 13.11.2020 carrying Golden Raisin arrived at Wagha for clearance on 19-11-2020 as reported by Wagha Customs. The GD was filed and processed by the same customs clearing agent. The role of the vehicle bearing Registration No. TKE-582 in this fraud is under investigation.