Giant Fabric Import Scam Exposed by Karachi Customs
Karachi Customs (Appraisement-West) has exposed a huge scam of fictitious declarations on Chinese fabric import consignments. The scam amounting to approximately Rs. 43.9 million was exposed following a thorough inspection by the customs authorities. A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against the culprits.
Who’s Involved?
The inquiry mentions the following:
M/s. Qiraam Impex (Private) Limited – Karachi importer
M/s. Habib Sons – Clearing agent
Abdul Razzak – Owner of the agency (CNIC: 42401-7079384-1)
Details of the Scam
Two consignments of fabrics were fraudulently declared under these Goods Declaration (GD) numbers:
KAPW-HC-162929-11-04-2025
KAPW-HC-165005-15-04-2025
The importer had declared the goods as “Billiard Table Cloth made of wool” and “Polyester Knitted Fabric.” But the customs officials discovered that the goods actually were superior quality furnishing fabrics, including:
Woven sofa and curtain fabric (HS Code: 5516.4200)
Dyed polyester blended woven fabric (HS Code: 5516.1200)
Stretchable polyester dyed knitted fabric (HS Code: 6004.1000)
How the Scam Operated
The importer and the agent are charged with:
Misdeclaring the goods in a bid to evade paying high customs
Shortchanging the government by reporting false values
Manufacturing false documents such as invoices and bills of lading
This resulted in a loss of Rs. 24.8 million in taxes for the government.
Investigation Team
The fraud was revealed by a team of committed professionals from the Facilitation Mechanism Cell, headed by Yaqoob Mako (otherwise referred to as “General Mako”) and overseen by:
Additional Collector Tauseef Gorchani
Deputy Collector Shakeel Ahmed
Appraising Officer Ilyas Gichki
Appraising Officer Zia ur Rehman initially identified the problem, and subsequent lab tests proved the fraud. The material turned out to be a blend of polyester, wool, cotton, viscose, and lycra — quite different from the claimed one.
Legal Action Taken
An FIR (No. 04/2025) under various laws has been registered:
Customs Act, 1969 – Sections 32(1), 32(2), and 79(1)
Sales Tax Act, 1990 – Sections 33 and 34
Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 – Section 148
What Happens Next?
Official sources confirmed this was a pre-planned effort to evade tax, and hard action will be initiated against all those involved. Investigations are also being carried out to identify other individuals involved in the fraud.
This case reveals how customs agencies are making great efforts to eradicate illegal trade and safeguard the country’s revenue.
