Daily Times

KARACHI: The Customs Intelligence has unearthed a mega smuggling scandal of Kerosene in the disguise of White Spirit worth billions, involvement of five Companies have been found initially in the scam out of them three have been booked in FIRs by Custom intelligence and have recovered the smuggled stuff worth 500 million while cases against the remaining two companies likely to be registered soon.

According to the sources within Director I&I Custom Enforcement, Karachi, three importers namely SMD Sons Pvt Ltd, Karachi, M A Corporation, Lahore and Power Industries Karachi were indulged in smuggling of Kerosene oil in garb of White spirit since the last two years.

The Directorate General of intelligence and Investigation, Islamabad provided a tip off, in pursuit thereof of Ms. Samina Tasleem Zehra, Director I&I Custom Enforcement, Karachi, assigned the task to the Additional Director and Mr. Shah Faisal Sahu, Deputy Director for proper investigation.

The matter was thoroughly visited and discreetly followed, and information was found correct and consignments were accordingly detained, samples were drawn for testing from Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan and they confirmed the samples as Kerosene oil instead of White Spirit. FIRs have been lodged and efforts are being made to arrest the delinquents.

According to the documents available with Daily Times approximately 500 million worth of recovery has been made by Director I&I Custom Enforcement Karachi till the date.

During these raids the teams of Director I&I Custom Enforcement Karachi raided several petrol pumps and warehouses of mentioned companies including Shell Petrol Pump, Baharia Town, Super Highway Oil Tanks of M/s. Home Product International (Pvt) Ltd, Oil Installation Area, Keamari, Depot of M/s. Lucky Oil Traders, New Mehran Town, Korangi Industrial Area,

The staff of Director I&I Custom Enforcement Karachi has drawn and sealed representative samples of the White Spirit from there said to be pertaining the said IGM/BL along with samples of other identical consignments of the same importer shipped by the same consignee and port of loading as they were part and parcel of the same organized racket dealing in illegal import of restricted items.

The importers and their accomplices had earlier illegally cleared huge quantities of restricted Kerosene oil in the disguise of white spirit. The details of past imports of white spirit (declared to be) which were got cleared by the above named importer against following In-bond and Ex-bond Goods Declaration are also being investigated. The total import value of the goods comes to around Rs.1.429 billion.

The role of other companies, clearing agents and other accomplices including Customs staff is being examined.