PESHAWAR: The importers based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are worried about the betel nuts cases coming to lime light at Karachi.
The importers expressed that in many cases misunderstanding has increased worries of importers because their legal cleared consignment have been seized by customs officers.
The owner of Zhong Pak Facilitators alleged that Collectorate of Customs Appraisement East R&D section Principal Appraiser Dost Muhammad has been not doing his duty properly due to which customs exchequer has to bear a loss of billions of rupees each day.
The importers added that smuggling has been detected at TP facility but customs high-ups are not worried about the corruption and had let no hear to listen to cries of importers against corrupt practices at Karachi ports by customs staff.
Banned and restricted items like chemicals, betel nuts and drugs have been brought into Pakistan through crooked customs elements by smugglers through green & yellow channel.
The owner of Link Traders based in Peshawar alleged that corrupt Principal Appraiser Dost Muhammad did not do anything to stop smuggling through these channels as R&D Department is responsible for checking documents and data of consignments cleared through the green channel, yellow and TP channels.
Arsalan Ahmad of Link Traders added that some corrupt customs officials like Appraiser Dost Muhammad illegally operating smuggling networks for clearance of contraband items like dangerous chemicals and betel nuts which cause serious loss to the customs exchequer but also cause defamation for customs department.
Dr. Nadeem Ahmed of M/s MSN Impex Importers and Exporters alleged that major manufacturers in Pakistan cannot compete with the kind of prices available in the market for the imported raw material. So far the reason the customs officers also demand to give bribe for doing of their legal work.
The FBR so far failed to take action against corrupt officials even after many corrupt cases have been came to lime light in last few months.