Smuggled auto parts worth Rs 200 million seized in Lahore

Directorate General of Customs Intelligence has made a historic seizure of smuggled auto parts worth Rs 200 million at Lahore under its national enforcement drive of raiding dumping places of the smuggled goods. Sources told Business Recorderhere on Sunday that following a robust strategy of rooting out the menace of smuggling, Customs Intelligence, on the specific information of its Director General, Shaukat Ali, has made a historic seizure of smuggled auto parts, worth Rs 200 million, at Lahore.
The recent seizure is one of the many effectively carried out raids by the Customs Intelligence on the dumping places of the smuggled goods across the country as part of a very effective anti-smuggling drive led by the incumbent Director General. Sources in the Customs Intelligence have reported that acting upon a credible information to the effect that a huge quantity of foreign origin smuggled Auto parts has been stored in the godown near Circular Road, near Badami Bagh, Bus Stand, Lahore, the Customs Intelligence, Lahore constituted a special team and search warrant under Section 162 of the Customs Act, 1969 were obtained from the Court of Judicial Magistrate Section-30, District Courts, Lahore for search of the said godown. Accordingly, on 01.08.2018, at about 01:45 hours, during a raid on the above-mentioned godown, huge quantities of F/o. Auto parts have been recovered. No one claimed the ownership of the recovered goods at the spot, however, during the loading of the goods, a person namely Mujahid s/o Ibrahim r/o house no 52, Mohallah Ram Gali no 11 Brandreth Road, Lahore appeared and identified himself as Munshi/representative of the owner of the goods. However, he could not produce any documentary evidence regarding legal import or lawful purchase/possession of the recovered foreign origin auto parts.
Since, no documentary evidence regarding recovered F/o Auto parts was provided by the said person, hence, establishing that the recovered foreign origin auto parts had been smuggled into the country through an un-authorized route and in clandestine manner evading payment of duty/taxes leviable thereon. Therefore, the same being non-duty paid/smuggled ones, have been seized by the Customs Intelligence. Total market value of the seized goods is Rs 200 million. Further Investigation is underway and a criminal case is being registered against the culprits, the sources added.