ISLAMABAD – A wide scale sweeping action against high ranking customsofficials found involved in smuggling of valued goods and causing billionsof rupees losses to the national kitty, was underway on the direction ofPrime Minister Imran Khan.
Under this drive, a number of high ranking officials including four topcollectors had been removed from posts due to their failure to controlsmuggling in various forms, including misdeclaration of valued goods andevasion of taxes, a government source privy to the massive probe confidedto APP on Sunday.
These officials included four collectors Raza Baloch, Ahsan Ali Shah, RSSyed Naghmani, Dr Iftikhar and member customs Jawad Agha, the source told.
The prime minister himself, during his public addresses, had hinted at theworking of certain mafia within the customs under the patronage ofinfluential political clout which in the past also stymied performance ofthe Federal Board of Revenue.
The prime minister had repeatedly expressed his zero tolerance over theissue of corruption in all walks of life and resolved to bring transparencyin the public sector functioning. All the ministries and divisions had beendirected to take above board action against all those involved incorruption.
Such robust drive under the PTI government’s manifesto had again given aclear and loud message to all officials that no incidence of corruptionwould be tolerated and swift punitive action would be taken against them.
Upon the basis of concrete reports of the customs intelligence, the FBR inits press release also acknowledged removal of five senior officers alongwith the dealing officials from the key positions at the head of Customsoperations and regional Collectorates in Peshawar and Quetta.
This action has been taken to stem the illegal flow of foreign origin goodswithout payment of due amount of duty and taxes into the country.
The scourge of smuggling and tax evasion at the country’s borders directlyled to increase in prices of daily commodities, thus badly affecting thecommon man.
Interestingly, the source further divulged that in the light of the FIA’sinvestigation into this scam, quantum of wheat smuggling could also beexposed, paving way for initiation of legal action against all thoseinvolved in it irrespective of their authority or political sway.
The Federal Investigation Agency has been tasked to formally proceedagainst these officials and thoroughly investigate the issue.
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According to the source, a number of arrests might take place shortly.The unprecedented move initiated after a report of Customs intelligence wassubmitted for the perusal of the prime minister who was keenly pursuingsuch issues.
The source further claimed that due to the influence of such powerfulmafia, even the FBR, in the past, had found itself helpless to swing intoaction.
Once the investigation was completed by FIA, the further leads about therole of this racket, officials’ connivance, their incompetence or otherreasons would be unearthed.
According to details as provided by FBR, at the Torkham customs-station inthe Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Afghan goods vehicles were entering and leaving thestation without filing the mandatory Goods Declaration (GD) for importclearance and without paying any duty and taxes.
Only fake GDs were used for the gate passes. Besides, assessment of dutyand taxes was not being done properly, giving undue benefit to theimporters, at the expense of public exchequer.
The report revealed that so far, 355 such vehicles were identified ashaving managed to escape the mandatory filing of GD and payment of duty andtaxes due to collusion and corruption at that station.
Similarly,discrepancies were reported in import clearance of prime qualityiron bars, white spirit, and Afghani fruits atcustoms-stations in the Balochistan province.
According to the source, in Karachi as per reports, more than 500containers were detected involving misdeclarations amounting to billions ofrupees in tax evasion.
