Telecom equipment, accessories: DGI&I seizes huge quantity of mis-declared goods

Directorate of Customs Intelligence, Karachi, on Monday claimed to have seized huge quantity of telecommunication equipment and accessories imported by one of the foreign mobile companies operating in Pakistan.
According to official sources, the action was taken on a tip-off that led to the seizure of telecommunication equipment and accessories including circuit breaker and outdoor rectifiers imported by the said company.
The sources said that the seized goods, which were mis-declared in Goods Declaration (GD), were cleared at under value from the Appraisement (West) Collectorate, Karachi.
Responding to the information, the Directorate took a 40ft container into custody, which was about to be cleared through green channel under self-assessment scheme. The sources said that the company had evaded Rs 30 million duty and taxes in the import of the said consignment by declaring the value of seized goods Rs 30.7 million instead of Rs 70.79 million.
They said that the importer was unable to produce satisfactory explanation over the short payment of duty and taxes to the notices served by the Directorate that led to the commencement of legal proceedings against him under relevant sections of Customs Act, 1969, Sales Tax Act, 1990 and Income Tax Ordinance-2001.
Replying to a question, the sources said that a formal seizure report had now been sent to Collector Customs Adjudication for further proceedings.
Talking to Business Recorder, Director Customs Intelligence Muhammad Asif Marghoob Siddiqui confirmed the seizure, saying that the Directorate had successfully established several other tax evasion cases against local and foreign mobile companies during the last 12 months.