Daily Times

KARACHI: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sindh has launched a fresh investigation into a corruption scandal involving customs officials posted at Karachi Export Processing Zone (KEPZA) and Port Qasim.

According to the complaint, massive tax evasion occurred when dozens of containers were cleared from Port Qasim on fake NOCs of KEPZA, causing billions of rupees loss to the government exchequer in the shape of tax evasion and misuse of subsidy for enhancement of re-export.

According to sources, there have been several reports that machinery and raw material imported duty-free for EPZs was sold into the local market, resulting in huge losses to the national economy. “A whole mafia has been working under the supervision of the mastermind, Yaqoob, and some of the factory owners and customs officers,” sources said.

According to documents, an inquiry has been assigned to NAB Sindh Assistant Director Paris Batool, who has sought further details from the complainant M/s Mushtaq and Sons.

In this regard, NAB Sindh has sent a letter to the Directorate General of II Islamabad for initialising the inquiry.

The issue came to light in January when a case was registered against Muhammad Fahad of M/s AAA Package, Burhan Uddin Azeem, Muhammad Aziz and Qadir of M/s Azeem Tex and Muhammad Aziz Ahmed of Al Noor Shippers and Muhammad Mubeen of M/s Insiya Packages for getting containers cleared duty-free for EPZA, who later sold the containers in the open market.

At that time custom officials recovered three containers from Shershah area, which were being offloaded there in a godown.

These containers were filled with raw material, which was imported for re-export. It did not reach the EPZA, but was unloaded in the local market.

After the registration of the FIR, customs officials did not expand the investigation to the whole network that was involved.

According to the documents, complainant M/s Mushtaq and Sons has now submitted more documents in NAB containing evidence of corrupt practices of custom officials who were supporting the mafia involved in tax evasion.

Published in Daily Times, November 10^th 2017.