KARACHI, June 29: The customs authorities have detected cases where attempts were made to clear a large number of used vehicles on passports carrying fake entry and exit immigration stamps.

However, customs hounds managed to trace such cases which could otherwise have resulted in evasion of customs duty worth millions of rupees.

The Collectorate of Customs (Appraisement), Karachi, immediately referred these cases to the Immigration authorities, Jinnah Terminal, Karachi, for verification of entry and exit stamp of immigration.

The immigration authorities, however, could not verify the travel data of passengers against whose names these passports have been issued. It was also stated that the immigration authorities were not having any sort of information or travel data of these passengers in their computer.

Upon this, the customs approached the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) and sought their guidance with regard to vehicles which had already been imported on these fake entry and exit immigration stamps.

The CBR directed the appraisement collectorate to release all the detained vehicles against redemption fine and imposing of penalty on passengers and clearing agents in terms of clauses (9) & (14) of Sub-section 1 of Section 156 of the Customs Act, 1969.It was simultaneously advised by the CBR that all tampered passports be forwarded to the FIA for taking appropriate action in terms of the relevant provisions of law.

The government allowed import of used and second-hand vehicles on various approved schemes, such as gift, personal baggage and transfer of residence.

In order to allow such imports, the CBR issued SRO 255(I)/2007 (dated March 17, 2007), which was in supercession of SRO 574(I)/2005 (dated June 6, 2005).

The trade policy 2005-06 did not allow import of second-hand or used vehicles, but after the issuance of SRO 255 the same was relaxed.

The customs authorities also issued a list of such passengers along with their passport numbers, who made attempt to clear vehicles on fake entry and exit immigration stamps to evade customs duty.