KARACHI: Customs authorities at Karachi Airport have seized electronic goods worth Rs103 million, including laptops, iPads, iPhones, MacBooks, PlayStations and memory cards, that were being smuggled without paying duty and taxes.
According to a statement issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday, the Collectorate of Customs registered two FIRs immediately and arrested employees of the company involved in the illegal clearance.
The statement said the electronic consignments were being taken out without filing goods declarations or paying customs duty and taxes. Employees of a foreign ground-handling company, along with corrupt importers, were found complicit in the fraud.
Customs officials revealed that a total of five consignments had previously been cleared illegally. All five were shipped by M/s Peer Jelani General Trading LLC, Dubai.
These consignments were concealed from the WeBOC system and cleared through fake gate passes without filing GDs.
The estimated duty and tax evasion on the five consignments is Rs384 million. Company employees allegedly used their computerised iCargo system to take out the expensive electronic goods illegally.
From one consignment alone, Customs recovered 258 iPhone 16 handsets, 101 laptops, 246 tablets, 102 iPads, 46 PlayStations, and 20,000 memory cards.
Officials confirmed that the female employee who issued the gate passes has been taken into custody. She claimed she was acting on orders from higher authorities.
Meanwhile, a private cargo terminal has shown reluctance in providing CCTV footage for over a month.
Authorities added that more FIRs and arrests are expected. FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial warned that customs officers failing to perform their duties would not be spared.