KARACHI: The confiscated goods worth over Rs. 23 million have been pilfered from the airport terminal under the nose of customs and terminal officials.
According to the documents, the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) South has exposed another case of illegal pilferage of confiscated goods but now at Karachi Airport’s Royal Service Terminal.
The latest case involves a Lahore-based company that allegedly mis-declared liquid food flavors worth Rs 23 million. The operation, led by DG PCA Chaudhary Zulfiqar Ali and Director PCA South Sheeraz Ahmed, revealed a sophisticated scheme in which the company fraudulently obtained possession of confiscated goods without paying the mandatory redemption fine of Rs 8.12 million.
“This is part of a larger pattern we’re uncovering,” said PCA sources. “The systematic manipulation of customs procedures suggests deep-rooted corruption involving multiple parties.”
The investigation has already resulted in three previous FIRs against three different companies. These companies allegedly operated in collusion with port authorities and customs officials to misappropriate various confiscated goods, including machine parts, electronic items, and aluminum sheets.
In the latest case, PCA’s further scrutiny exposed another case of theft and misappropriation of government property as the said company fraudulently pilfered confiscated goods from the Karachi Airport’s Royal Service Terminal.
The Adjudicating authority confiscated the offending goods (Liquid Food Flavour) in an import GD mis-declared by the said company, while granting the importer the option to redeem confiscated goods upon payment of a redemption fine totaling Rs 8.12 million, in terms of SRO 499(I)/2009, dated 13.6.2009.
The importer fraudulently obtained possession of “confiscated” goods without settling the redemption fines, thus effectively stealing government property from the Karachi airport’s goods terminal.
This clandestine operation resulted in the loss of government-owned goods worth Rs. 23 million. This is the second such case and PCA authorities apprehend that the scope of this intricate scam can be much wider. The sophisticated fraud poses challenging questions about airport security and compliance, pointing to serious systemic flaws.
PCA South has now filed charges against the company and its clearing agent. Meanwhile, special teams have been mobilized to take the accused parties to task.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities suggesting the scope of the fraud could be even wider than currently known. The PCA’s probe has raised critical questions about airport security protocols and the effectiveness of existing customs compliance measures.
This series of fraudulent activities has prompted the FBR to announce a comprehensive review of customs procedures at all major ports and airports across the country, with a particular focus on the handling of confiscated goods and the roles and accountability of customs and terminal officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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