RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Model Customs Collectorate (MCC), Port Qasim claimed to have seized huge quantity of Acetic Anhydride weighing 16.7 metric tons on the other day.

According to details, the consignment was shipped from Poland under description of “Summer Fluid” which was used in manufacturing of Shampoos. This description was used to hoodwink the custom authorities to get the consignment cleared from port. The estimated value of the consignment was US$ 1.5 million.

The case was detected during monitoring of the import data available in WeBOC system.

Official statement said that information was received against the consignment contained non-existent item code and indistinct address of Peshawar based importer.

Therefore, the customs authorities have selected the consignment for physical examination, which led to the recovery of huge quantity of “Acetic Anhydride”.

Acetic Anhydride is importable only by authorized industrial consumers and the impugned consignment has been imported in violation of the Import Policy order-2016.

It said that the consignment was seized under the applicable laws and the seized Acetic Anhydride was a highly sensitive chemical which was a main ingredient for preparing narcotics substance especially heroin and was also used in making Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

FIR of the case has been lodged and raids are being carried to take the responsible persons to task, it said and added that office of the Commercial Counsellor, Poland was being approached for assistance in the investigation.