ISLAMABAD: The Collectorate of Customs Appraisement (West), Karachi, has detected and thwarted multiple attempts to illegally import Indian-origin goods into Pakistan through misdeclaration of country of origin, in violation of the provisions of the Import Policy Order.

An official announcement of the FBR said that the first case came to light when an importer attempted to clear a consignment of textile machinery by falsely declaring its origin as China, whereas the goods were found to be of Indian origin.

Prompt action by Customs prevented the clearance of the contraband goods involving an amount of Rs24.22 million. Following this initial detection, the collectorate intensified its vigilance at Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) and off-dock terminals. As a result, three more consignments were intercepted on suspicion of being of Indian origin.

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A second consignment of textile machinery, declared to be shipped from Jebel Ali and of Chinese origin, was examined. It was found that manufacturer’s plates and specification labels had been deliberately removed. However, ‘Made in India’ markings were discovered on electrical components, and the machine’s frame bore the name of a well-known Indian brand. The assessed value of the consignment is Rs16.60m.

Another consignment also shipped from Jebel Ali and declared as Chinese origin, was found to contain components with tampered labels. A detailed examination revealed a clear ‘Made in India’ marking on the main panel door of the Power Distribution Unit. The value of this consignment has been assessed at Rs3.76m.

A Less-than-Container Load shipment declared as Turkish origin and shipped from Ambarli, Turkiye, was found to contain packing with clear ‘Made in India’ markings. The value of the goods is assessed at Rs0.154m.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2025