The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has ordered an inquiry into senior customs officials, including an Additional Collector and a Deputy Collector, over their alleged role in the attempted clearance of banned imports disguised as scrap under the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS).
According to official documents seen by ProPakistani, the investigation was initiated after enforcement authorities intercepted four consignments at Karachi’s Allama Iqbal International Container Terminal (AICT) that had been declared as various types of scrap.
However, a physical inspection allegedly found the containers were largely filled with slightly used and nearly new Midea window air conditioners, portable air conditioners, and dehumidifiers manufactured in Thailand, while only a small quantity of the declared scrap material was present.
The Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement), Karachi has recommended a formal inquiry into officials of the Collectorate of Customs (Appraisement West), including assessment, scanning, and supervisory officers who processed the consignments. An incident report has also pointed to possible official involvement.
Investigators found that all four Goods Declarations (GDs) were processed through the Yellow Channel and scanned before clearance. In two cases, assessment officers cleared the consignments without requesting a physical examination.
For the remaining two consignments, assessment officers sought a physical inspection, but the requests were reportedly turned down by the competent Additional Collector or Deputy Collector, who directed officials to rely on scanner images after citing the importer’s compliance history.
Despite scanner images allegedly indicating that the cargo did not match the declared descriptions, all four consignments completed the assessment process and were cleared for gate-out before being stopped by enforcement officials.
The inquiry will also examine why permission for pre-declaration examination under Section 79(1)(b) of the Customs Act, 1969, was granted despite no apparent evidence that such an examination had actually taken place.
Officials further revealed that these were the importer’s first consignments under the Export Facilitation Scheme routed through AICT after previously importing through Port Muhammad Bin Qasim, where a similar shipment had reportedly been intercepted.
Authorities have also requested approval to inspect seven additional 40-foot containers belonging to the same importer that remain at AICT, as investigators believe they may contain further evidence linked to the case.
The probe will also review the conduct of the Deputy Collector, the concerned appraising and scanning officers, and the Additional Collector following preliminary findings that examination requests may have been declined on telephonic instructions.
