KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has booked several top officials of an oil marketing company in a case pertaining to their alleged involvement in the evasion of Customs duties, taxes and petroleum levy worth billions of rupees by clandestinely removing thousands of metric tons of imported oil without paying government dues.

The Corporate Crime Circle booked the CEO of M/s Gas & Oil Pakistan Limited (GO Petroleum); CEO of M/s Terminal One Limited (TOL); the terminal manager; a signatory of GO Petroleum’s Customs-bonded warehouse at Mehmoodkot, Muzaffargarh; senior manager of the warehouse; and other relevant officers and officials of the Collectorates of Customs Appraisement, Port Qasim, Faisalabad and Lahore-East.

The case was registered under Section 156 of the Customs Act, 1969, read with Sections 409, 420, 468, 471, 109 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.

A spokesperson for GO Petroleum told Dawn that it had paid all due customs duties, taxes, levies and other statutory liabilities, adding that the company was fully cooperating with authorities.

FIA alleges bonded petroleum products were removed by GO Petroleum and sold without payment of Customs duties, taxes and petroleum levy; company maintains it is current on all payments, fully cooperating

The FIR stated that the FIA had initiated an inquiry, which revealed that imported petroleum products deposited in a Customs-bonded warehouse (bonded POL terminal) are non-duty-paid and cannot be removed, dispatched, sold or consumed except upon the filing of an ex-bond (EB) Goods Declaration (GD) and payment of Customs duties, taxes, petroleum levy and climate support levy. Any removal without fulfilling these requirements constitutes an offence.

The FIA said the alleged fraud first surfaced at M/s TOL, a Customs-licensed bonded terminal at Port Muhammad Bin Qasim (PMBQ).

According to the FIA, Go Petroleum imported HOBC (also known as RON 95) via the vessel PS Hamburg into TOL’s bonded tanks and sold approximately 4,744 metric tons of the bonded HOBC before filing its first declaration, thereby allegedly evading Customs duties, taxes, petroleum levy and other applicable charges.

The FIA said these findings were corroborated by a forensic analysis/extraction report from the laptop of TOL’s terminal manager.

The investigation agency said an identical modus operandi was independently established during a physical inspection conducted on 22-06-2026 at Go Petroleum’s own Customs-bonded terminal at Mehmoodkot, Muzaffargarh.

It stated that a reconciliation of Customs/WeBOC records for the relevant period established that 39,121 metric tons of bonded (non-duty-paid) PMG should have been physically present at the Mehmoodkot terminal as of 22-06-2026. However, no goods declarations had been filed for that quantity, which itself exceeded the terminal’s entire licensed storage capacity of 26,072 metric tons, making such a stock position physically impossible.

During a joint inspection conducted by the FIA, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and Customs on 22-06-2026, only 7,039.7 metric tons were found in the tanks.

According to the FIA, this established that approximately 32,081 metric tons of bonded PMG had been clandestinely removed as of 22-06-2026. However, no goods declarations had been filed for that quantity, which itself exceeded the terminal’s entire licensed storage capacity of 26,072 metric tons, making such a stock position physically impossible.

During a joint inspection conducted by the FIA, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and Customs on 22-06-2026, only 7,039.7 metric tons were found in the tanks.

According to the FIA, this established that approximately 32,081 metric tons of bonded PMG had been clandestinely removed from the Customs-bonded warehouse.

The FIA further alleged that during the joint inspection of PMG stock at M/s Terminal One Limited (TOL), PMBQ Karachi, on 22-06-2026, the terminal manager wilfully obstructed the verification process, refused to provide bonded stock data, withheld dip-calibration charts and, acting on the owner’s instructions, refused to sign the joint stock proforma while allegedly threatening the inspecting officials, thereby obstructing the lawful inquiry.

According to the FIA, the two instances were not isolated but represented a countrywide pattern involving Go Petroleum.

‘All dues paid’

Responding to the allegations regarding non-payment of customs duties and taxes on imported petroleum products, the Gas & Oil Pakistan Limited (GO) has clarified that it remains fully committed to compliance with all applicable laws, regulatory requirements and prescribed tax payment procedures.

“Based on the company’s records, GO remains current in the payment of customs duties, taxes, levies and other statutory liabilities that have become due and payable.

The Company is extending its full cooperation to the relevant authorities and will continue to engage with all stakeholders in a transparent and responsible manner. Any matters raised by the authorities will be addressed through the appropriate legal and regulatory processes,” said a statement.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2026