Karachi – (Staff reporter/Web Desk) – The Directorate General of Transit Trade has stopped a Rs683 million duty evasion attempt at Karachi port. Officials say the goods were cleared under false papers to avoid heavy taxes.
Two containers were stopped during checks. They carried cigarette-making materials and other goods that were not properly declared.
The seized items included 4,934 kilograms of cigarette paper and 47,273 kilograms of acetate tow. Officials also found perfumes from international brands and some mineral water.
The importer had declared the goods as printed and misprinted paper rolls and sheets. This would have allowed clearance at much lower duty rates.
The declared value of both containers was only about Rs1.8 million. After a detailed check, officials set the real value at more than Rs106 million.
The duties and taxes that should have been paid came to over Rs684 million. The suspected evasion was estimated at more than Rs683 million, which would have been a big loss to the national treasury.
The action began with information shared by the Anti-Narcotics Force. Customs staff then carried out a joint examination with the agency.
The check confirmed that cigarette paper and acetate tow were hidden under the description of printed paper. Officials then sent samples for testing.
The Custom House laboratory confirmed that the tow was cellulose acetate. It also confirmed that the paper was uncoated cigarette paper used to make cigarettes.
Cigarette paper is a restricted item under Pakistan’s Import Policy Order 2022. Only eligible companies that meet set conditions can import it.
The Directorate General of Transit Trade has registered a criminal case. It names people linked to Green Pak Enterprises in Lahore, EQA Corporation, a customs agent, and Pak Shaheen Cargo Services.
The case deals with the wrong description, wrong classification and wrong quantity of the imported goods. Officials also suspect breaches of customs and other laws.
Sources say the probe is now wider. Investigators want to know if other consignments were cleared in the same way in the past.
They are also trying to identify others who may have helped with the deal or gained from it.
The seizure has also drawn attention to acetate tow, a key raw material for cigarette filters. Officials have questioned why declared imports of this material almost stopped in the past two years, even though cigarette production went up.
They say this may point to illegal supply chains or imports hidden through false declarations.
Many see the case as a major test for customs enforcement. It shows how smart misdeclaration plans can use transit and dry-port routes to dodge duties and taxes.
The investigation is still going on. Sources say officials are working to uncover the whole network behind the scam.
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