The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has found that an importer allegedly involved in gross misdeclaration of Chinese goods at Customs Dry Port, Lahore, who has allegedly registered two companies (same name) with the Sales Tax Department, using different Sales Tax Registration Numbers (STRNs).
Sources told Business Recorder on Tuesday that the customs authorities had busted a gang of importer and customs agents involved in massive under-involving of the import of Chinese goods.
The investigators detected misdeclaration of a consignment, imported from China at the Dry Port. Scrutiny of e-data, maintained by Pakistan Revenue Automaton Limited (Pral), revealed that the importer, instead of using his original registration number, had wilfully, knowingly and intentionally misdeclared the STRN on goods declaration (GD) form.
In fact, two firms with same style and name were registered with the Sales Tax Collectorate, bearing different (STRNs) viz-a-viz owners. The importer used the following names, NTNs and STRNs:
-- M/s Decent Traders, House No 18, Block No 5, Sector C-2 Township, Lahore, having its NTN No; 3029094 and Sales Tax Registration No 03-00-8525-010-55 and proprietor Nasreen Aslam. -M/s Decent Traders, 53-C Block, Main Boulevard Sabzazar, Lahore, having its NTN No 0840654 and Sales Tax Registration No 03-05-9403-082-46 and proprietor Muhammad Wasim Tipu.
Sources said that the investigators would check the modus operandi used by the importer for maintaining two different STRNs with the same names having slight difference in their addresses. The benefits gained through this technique would be checked with the help of Sales Tax Department.
According to sources, there must be some strong reasons for maintaining two different STRNs by one importer, who was involved in misdeclaration of the imported consignments. This might help the customs department to check frauds in future.
Further investigation would confirm how one company can manipulate two STRNs for committing some kind of tax fraud and how two companies of the same name can bypass the system to evade the authorities.
Details of the case revealed that an information was received through the Collector of Customs, Lahore, that M/s Decent Traders had imported a consignment from China and sought clearance of the same vide GD filed by M/s Khwaja International, Custom Clearing Agent, Lahore. It was further informed that the description, quantity, value and weight of the imported goods has been misdeclared by way of presentation of fake documents to the customs department.
To further investigate the matter, the customs officials traced the data of these GDs, filed by the importer. The computer record of the said GD revealed that imported goods, after examination assessment and payment of duties and taxes of Rs 339,888, were allowed out of charge.
It was also found that 1x40" container relating to the said GD had also reached the exit gate of the Dry Port, Lahore. The aforesaid container was intercepted at the gate and brought back to Container Yard for re-examination.
The GD was also retrieved from the custom staff at Exit Gate, Dry Port, Lahore. A scrutiny of the same revealed that the imported goods were earlier examined by Customs Inspector (Import Examination) Aslam and description and quantity, the goods were reported to be in accordance with the declaration made on the GD.
Later, the proprietor of customs clearing agent was asked to associate himself in the exercise of re-examination of the goods, but he delayed the re-examination on one pretext or the other. The re-examination of goods in the container was started in the presence of witnesses and in association with representative of the said clearing agency, which resulted in recovery of the goods.
The consignment was also physically weighed and the weight was found to be 17,260 kilograms instead declared in the import documents and GD as not 10,000 kilograms. Resultantly, the consignment was lawfully re-valued/re-assessed to C&F 44,868 dollars by the designated filed formation staff as against originally managed assessment cost and freight (C&F) 13,800 dollars by the customs agent, which was transcribed on computerised Additional Examination-cum-assessment sheet already prepared and submitted by him along with goods declaration.
Consequently, customs duty and other taxes were worked out to be Rs 1,179,976 as against originally paid Rs 339,888. Had this misdeclaration gone undetected, then the Federal government would have clandestinely been deprived of its legitimate revenue to the extent of Rs 840,088, sources added. The Collector of Customs, Lahore, on the basis of facts nominated an inquiry officer for inquiry and asked to submit a detail report to the FBR.
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