Karachi, Pakistan: Customs Enforcement Karachi intercepted a smuggling attempt involving high-end food items and confectionery. Acting on a tip-off received from Collector Basit Abbasi to Additional Collector, the authorities swung into action to thwart the illicit trade.
A customs team, led by Deputy Collector Raza Naqvi, was assembled for the mission. The team included SPS-ASO Mr. Muhammad Habib Mayo, Muhammad Saqlain along with officers Niaz Hussain, Raja Abdul Salam, Shamas Ul Arifeen, Imran Maqsood, and others. Their target: a suspicious vehicle transporting contraband goods.
Upon spotting the suspect vehicle, the customs team signaled it to stop. However, the vehicle and its container evaded capture by entering Sadiq Godown. Undeterred, the team swiftly arrived at the premises and initiated a search. Inside the godown, they discovered a Hino Mazda truck unloading goods from the container. The shed was rented to Mir Zar Ali, who intended to transfer the smuggled items to a reputable shop in Karachi.
The seized goods included a tempting array of high-end chocolates, such as Hershey’s, Toblerone, Biscoff, Maltesers, and Raffaello Cadbury. Strangely, no one stepped forward to claim ownership or provide legal documentation for the goods.
Further investigation revealed that the impugned container was destined for the Embassy of Libya in Islamabad. Discrepancies between the recovered items and the proforma invoice indicated deliberate misdeclaration to conceal the true identity of the luxury food items.
Import data from WEBOC exposed a startling pattern: the Libyan Embassy had imported four large consignments of foodstuffs over the past six months. Given the limited number of diplomatic members at the embassy, the sheer volume of imported foodstuff raised suspicions. The investigation estimated that duty and tax exemptions for these shipments amounted to Rs. 43 million.
Diplomatic cargo typically enjoys privileged status, exempt from scrutiny and taxes. However, this audacious smuggling operation exploited that privilege, causing substantial losses to the national exchequer. The clearing agent, M/s. Cargo Trading System, shares responsibility for facilitating the illicit trade under the guise of diplomatic cargo.
An official reported that due to strict controls on the appraisement and enforcement sides, smugglers have turned to alternative methods. Diplomatic cargo has been susceptible to smuggling, but many attempts have been detected and prevented in the past. Under the guidance of COAS General Asim Munir, a successful campaign has reduced smuggling by about 80%. Pakistan Customs receives assistance from the military, intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and district administration. Recently, smuggling has shifted to diplomatic consignments. Some embassy staff and a protocol officer from MoFA are allegedly involved in this scheme. Last month, a large quantity of liquor was imported disguised as a diplomatic consignment, but it was cleared due to influence. Smuggling can occur via sea, transshipment cargo (TP), and EPZ cargo. While EPZ Karachi has control over smuggling, other EPZs remain vulnerable.