FBR Seizes Laptops, iPhones, MacBooks, and PlayStations Worth Millions at Karachi Airport

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has busted a large-scale duty and tax evasion scam at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, involving the illegal removal of high-value electronics without customs clearance. The operation, led by the Collectorate of Customs Airport Karachi, has resulted in the seizure of a consignment valued at Rs. 103 million and the arrest of several suspects. Sources told ProPakistani that the scam was allegedly orchestrated by employees of Gerry’s dnata, a foreign-based ground-handling company and custodian of the goods, in collusion with unscrupulous importers. The group used fake and forged documents to remove electronic goods, including laptops, iPads, iPhones, MacBooks, PlayStations, and memory cards, worth hundreds of millions of rupees from the airport without filing Goods Declarations (GDs) or paying the required customs duties and taxes. The fraud came to light after credible intelligence was received and acted upon swiftly, leading to tighter controls at the airport. In addition to the seized consignment, two other shipments were found to have been fraudulently cleared using fake gate passes. The Collectorate has since lodged two FIRs and arrested employees of the ground-handling company involved in the case. Investigations have revealed that a total of five consignments, all shipped from the UAE by M/s Pir Jillani General Trading LLC, Dubai, were illegally removed using this scheme. The shipments, packed in two large pallets weighing around 900- 1,000 kg each, were deliberately concealed from the Customs WeBOC system to avoid GD filings and facilitate their clearance with forged documents. The total estimated value of evaded duties and taxes is Rs. 384 million. Customs investigators also discovered that employees of the company manipulated their computerized iCargo system to hide airway bills and issue fake gate passes. The foreign-based company’s refusal to provide CCTV footage and critical records, despite repeated requests, has raised suspicions of involvement at the senior management level. FBR officials say further FIRs and arrests are expected as efforts continue to recover the evaded amounts. The Chairman FBR and Member Customs have stressed that no leniency will be shown to custodians or customs officials who fail in their duties, vowing to leave no stone unturned in protecting national revenue and restoring public trust. Gerry’s Dnata had not responded to queries by ProPakistani as of the filing of this report.