Importers, clearing agents booked for submitting 'fake' pay orders

Model Customs Collectorate, Gwadar, Port Qasim Karachi has reportedly caught importers, and clearing agents for submitting fake pay orders worth millions of rupees as guarantee.

According to officials, importers M/s Gravity Trading Company NTN (5356315-1), M/s Iqra Textiles, NTN (7989242-5), M/s Jubilee Textiles. NTN (1907532-4) and M/s Voroly Impex, NTN(1640769-5) were required to submit pay orders in lieu of provisional assessment of value on the basis of order of October 31, 2019 of the High Court of Sindh, Karachi in CPs No.5034, 5035, 50365037, 5038 and 5042 of 2019.

The importers submitted 43 pay orders, involving Rs 63.50 million, in the Bank Guarantee Section, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim Karachi as securities. However, when the authorities concerned verified the pay orders submitted by the importers were found fake.

The sources said the phenomenon was detected after within moments of scrutiny of pay orders, such as the printing of the same branch code pertaining to different branches of Karachi and Lahore of the same bank. Custom Authorities also verified from the bank that the instruments are fake.

According to MCC Port Qasim, the illegal and fraudulent act, with active connivance of the importer's clearing agent M/s Kanwal Enterprises (CHAL No. 1917), and M/s Welcome services (CHAL No. 775) constitutes an offence within the meanings of section 32(1) and 79 of Customs Act 1969, punishable under section 156(1),(9) and (14) of the Customs Act 1969. Accordingly GDs have been blocked.

The sources said, First Information Reports (FIRs) are being lodged against these importers and their facilitators. Bank Guarantee Section has also been directed to be vigilant on submission of the securities along with verification of available and new securities, specially pay orders and bank guarantees.