The Team of ‘The Inquirer’ discovered the most precious 17 Gems of Corruption in Pakistan Customs?

 

Today we will highlight another serious corruption case as according to available documents and evidences.

A case of serious and systematic corruption has emerged in which more than 400 containers, including light aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, high value items, imported chocolate and dry fruits, coming from the Taftan border during August to November 2024, disappeared from customs custody. The total value of these containers is said to be in billions of rupees.

 According to records, these consignments entered the NLC Dry Port during the tenure of the then Collector Quetta Appraisal Yasin Murtaza, but later they were neither presented before the court or customs nor the process of seizure and auction could be completed as per the instructions of the High Powered Committee constituted by the Prime Minister’s Office, causing huge loss to the national exchequer.

According to the text of the FIRs, the importers and clearing agents include M/s Prime Enterprises Lahore, M/s Mir Brothers Lahore, M/s Al Aziz & Sons International Traders Quetta and M/s Hamza and Brothers Quetta, while several customs bonded carriers and transport companies are also said to be involved in the entire process. Goods declaration was not filed at all on several consignments, and where it was filed, violations of the Petroleum Rules 1937 and the Customs Act 1969 were revealed.

The fact that the tanker lorries were not shifted to Mian Ghundi despite the orders of the Balochistan High Court and their subsequent unavailability indicates that the goods were illegally removed from customs custody and sold in the market.

The documents also reveal that despite serious allegations against Chief Collector Balochistan Yaqoob Mako, not only was no effective action taken but he was also kept in sensitive positions, and later he was even given important responsibilities like Member Facilitation Mechanism.

It is alleged that the matter was suppressed due to influence, there was silence at the FIA ​​level for a long time and timely disciplinary action was not taken against the responsible officers. Later, when pressure increased, after a gap of one year, more than 100 FIRs were registered against fictitious companies, most of which are said to have no real existence, which clearly shows the attempt to protect the real responsible elements.

In March 2025, the Chairman FBR was formally informed about the theft of containers and the loss of billions of rupees, but despite this, according to public circles, decisive steps were not seen. According to the facts recorded in the FIRs, this is not just a loss of revenue but also a serious matter of public safety because flammable solvents were removed illegally. The overall available record indicates an organized network in which some customs officers, clearing agents, transporters and so-called companies conspired to perpetrate one of the biggest alleged frauds in the history of Pakistan Customs, for which transparent, impartial and high-level accountability seems inevitable.