KARACHI: A huge quantity of confiscated goods including machine parts, electronic items and aluminium sheets worth millions of rupees have been stolen from the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) and Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT), allegedly in connivance with port authorities and customs officials.
In what’s being described as an “unprecedented detection”, the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) South has caught this fraud where valuable machine parts, cutting-edge electronics, industrial aluminium sheets, and others items vanished, allegedly in connivance with the port and customs authorities from KICT and QICT, the country’s most vital trade ports.
Sources said that the PCA South, led by DG Chaudhary Zulfiqar Ali and Director Sheeraz Ahmed, on a tip-off, took the action. The department has lodged three FIRs and formed two special teams to catch the accused and their accomplices. Replying to a question sources said that the involvement of three unscrupulous importers was confirmed who managed to pilfer confiscated goods worth a staggering Rs 83 million in collusion with port authorities and customs officials.
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Detailing the modus operandi of this pilferage incident, the sources explained, “The adjudicating authorities had confiscated the goods in three import GDs, offering the importers an option to redeem the goods upon payment of a redemption fine totalling Rs. 28 million. However, the accused importers fraudulently obtained possession of the confiscated goods without settling the fines, effectively stealing government property from the ports.
“The case has raised serious concerns about the security of the country’s port operations and the potential for wider abuse. We apprehend that the scope of this intricate scam can be much wider and this could be just the tip of the iceberg,” sources said and added we’re dealing with a level of sophistication that suggests a much wider network. This incident, which comes at a time when the country is struggling to boost its export-driven economy and attract foreign investment, could potentially impact investors’ confidence and raise questions about the effectiveness of recent reforms in customs in general and FBR in particular.
Meanwhile, trade representatives have lauded the efforts of the PCA South for exposing the deep-rooted corruption in the customs department through this scam and urged the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and accountability for all involved parties, including port authorities and customs officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024