The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has uncovered a major customs fraud at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, involving the illegal removal of high-value electronics without filing Goods Declarations (GDs) or paying customs duties.
According to an FBR statement, employees of a foreign-based ground-handling company, also acting as the goods’ custodian, colluded with dishonest importers to orchestrate the scam. Fake documents, forged by company staff, were used to smuggle electronic items worth hundreds of millions of rupees out of the airport.
The fraud came to light following credible intelligence, which led to enhanced monitoring at the airport. As a result, a consignment worth Rs103 million, including laptops, iPads, iPhones, MacBooks, PlayStations, and memory cards, was intercepted before it could be illegally removed.
Further investigations revealed two consignments had already been cleared using fake gate passes. The Customs Collectorate promptly registered two FIRs and arrested several company employees involved.
In total, five consignments were smuggled using this method. All were sent from the UAE by Dubai-based Pir Jillani General Trading and concealed from the Customs WeBOC system to avoid detection. Each shipment, packed in 900–1000 kg pallets, bypassed customs procedures. The estimated revenue loss from unpaid duties and taxes is approximately Rs384 million.
