Non-customs paid vehicles are being registered in provincial Motor Registration Authorities (MRAs) in Karachi, Peshawar and Swat on fake documents; it was learnt. Sources said that transfer of residence, personal baggage or gift scheme was the only mechanism for importing used vehicles in Pakistan, which were widely misused by certain used car importers in past.
However, the imports of used vehicles have almost suspended after the issuance of SRO 52(I)/2019 that restricts the persons, intended to import used vehicles in Pakistan under the said scheme, to pay duty and taxes only in foreign exchange from personal overseas bank accounts for the clearance of imported vehicles.
The modus operandi was detected by Model Customs Collectorate (MCC), Appraisement West, which booked over two dozen persons including officials from provincial MRAs in Karachi, Peshawar and Swat in an FIR. According to that FIR, the department has received credible information that some unscrupulous clearing agents were involved in the "fabrication of fake goods declaration" in One Customs while taking illegal benefits from provisions of section 79(1)(b) of the Customs Act 1969 to present bogus data to get registration of smuggled vehicles with the connivance of so-called importers and relevant officials of Excise & Taxation of various registration authorities in the country. The department claimed that clearing agents had violated sections 155K and 155P of the Customs Act 1969 in this case.
The department in order to verify the veracity of information retrieved the data of "bogus" claims from PRAL which confirmed the said illegal phenomenon of bogus claims from January 2019 till August 2019. Some sixteen vehicles were registered on fake documents during this period. During initial course of investigation, smuggled vehicles were registered on the basis of fake and fabricated documents in connivance of respective officials of provincial excise and taxation authorities without verification of customs clearance from concerned Collectorate. The FIR further said that one vehicle was registered twice and allocated separate registration numbers at Peshawar and Karachi.
It said that M/s Trade and Transport International deliberately prepared the goods declaration with "fake" particulars in the PRAL system through authorized user ID in "connivance" with beneficiaries and so-called importers as well as officials of respective MRA's, which resulted into loss of legitimate revenue Rs 129.91 million approximately besides circumventing import restriction under relevant sections of law.
The FIR stated that identification of the actual beneficiaries involved in this offence was to be ascertained as bogus entry were made in the fabricated application filed in One Customs under section 79(1)(b) of the Customs Act 1969. Consequent upon approval, the department has now lodged an FIR against over two dozen persons including officials from provincial MRAs. Further investigation is in progress.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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