Karachi: The FBR has conducted a major operation against officers and customs agents involved in corruption in the faceless customs assessment system and 3 people involved in irregularities have been arrested.
According to officials, action has also been initiated against the involved customs assessing officer and the customs licenses of 45 customs agents who were in contact with the assessing officer in the faceless system have also been suspended.
The FBR has registered a criminal case against the culprits, the case also includes the assessing officer, agents and some private individuals. An investigation team has also been formed against the people involved in thwarting the faceless assessment system.
According to officials, after arresting three people, the team has also started raids to arrest the remaining accused.
According to officials, the FBR has suspended the concerned customs assessing officer and started a formal inquiry against him under the disciplinary rules.
Sources say that several shocking revelations have also come to light in this successful operation of the FBR. It should be noted that after the customs faceless, contact with the customs appraisers and officers, customs clearing agents and importers was completely lost.
But to thwart the faceless, the customs appraisers had deliberately adopted delaying tactics in the clearance of consignments and had also created WhatsApp groups and matters were settled by contacting the importers and agents in this WhatsApp group.
The FBR, acting secretly on these complaints, conducted forensics of the customs appraising officer’s driver and other phones. After the WhatsApp group came to light in the forensics, a major action was taken.
