Customs Official Warns of Irregularities in State Warehouse Lahore

A Customs Intelligence official has asked its high-ups to constitute a team for proper stocktaking of the goods placed in the State Warehouse Lahore. A Customs Intelligence official, Irshad Ali, has written a letter to Director General Customs Intelligence and Investigation concerning the stocktaking of State Warehouse (SWH) Lahore. He claimed that a huge quantity of seized goods were found placed in the different vehicles without any marks/numbers or description of goods whereas the case number and SWH DA numbers were also not present on the seized goods. Moreover, all the seized goods placed in the vehicles, containers, and rooms are without lock and key and also without proper sealing. The gates of the SWH were also found without proper locks and seals which are against the law. However, despite repeated requests neither the Deputy Custodian briefed about the seized goods placed in the SWH, nor the then Deputy Custodian provided any proper record as prescribed under CGO and relevant Provisions of the Customs Act 1969. He further revealed that despite the several discrepancies and irregularities found in the SWH, the Deputy Director and Additional Director of Regional Office Lahore threatened him and pressurized him to take the charge of the warehouse from the previous Deputy Custodian. In this regard, the Deputy Director (SWH), Lahore, called an explanation against him vide C.No. CU(IDET/PF/21/22/3530 dated 20-07-2022. He added that came to his knowledge from a reliable source that the huge quantity of miscellaneous seized goods placed in the SWH are missing, due to which the previous Deputy Custodian avoided handing over the seized goods to him under proper handing over and directed him to take the charge based on the previous stocktaking held on February 2022. However, the said stocktaking report is not authentic, as it was made about six months ago, whereas, during the said period so many goods were released and deposited in the SWH. Further, most of the bidders of auctioned goods refused to take the delivery of auctioned goods from the SWH as the Deputy Custodian did not deliver the complete quantity of auctioned goods to the bidders, which also confirmed the information about the missing goods. The official has requested for constitution of a team for proper stocktaking of the goods placed in the SWH to avoid any illegalities.