Importer Booked After Customs Finds Nearly 900 ACs Hidden in Scrap

Pakistan Customs (Enforcement), Karachi, has registered an FIR against M/s Shareef Enterprises and its clearing agent, M/s Express Freight Links, for allegedly misdeclaring imported consignments as scrap to evade customs duties and taxes amounting to nearly Rs. 47.95 million.

According to the FIR, the importer declared four consignments imported from the United States under the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) as compressor scrap, iron and steel scrap, aluminium condenser scrap, and remeltable scrap, with a total declared value of Rs. 21.93 million.

Customs blocked the consignments after clearance and carried out a physical examination at the Al-Hamd International Container Terminal (AICT) in Karachi.

The examination allegedly uncovered 897 new portable and window air conditioners, 113 dehumidifiers, and three used water dispensers, mostly of the Midea brand and originating from Thailand and China, concealed behind pallets of compressor scrap. Customs assessed the recovered goods at Rs. 63.39 million, resulting in an alleged duty and tax shortfall of Rs. 47.95 million.

The FIR alleges that the importer, in collusion with the clearing agent and other unidentified facilitators, deliberately concealed commercial goods under the guise of scrap imported through the EFS to evade government revenue. Authorities have invoked multiple provisions of the Customs Act, 1969, along with relevant sections of the Sales Tax Act, 1990, and the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.

The seized goods have been taken into custody under Section 168 of the Customs Act, while efforts are underway to arrest the nominated suspects. Customs said the investigation is continuing to identify additional facilitators, including any public officials who may have been involved.

Separately, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Wednesday transferred Additional Collector Yawar Nawaz and Deputy Collector Aqsa Aslam over the alleged abuse of the Export Facilitation Scheme.

According to sources, the department has finalized a charge sheet against the two officials and shared it with senior Customs authorities.