Probe into country’s biggest smuggling case in doldrums

LAHORE
THE Investigation into country’s biggest smuggling case is in doldrums due to lethargic attitude of Airport Security Force (ASF), The News has learnt.Customs authorities are investigating a case of smuggling wherein they apprehended an accused person Abdul Basit in May 2015 at Lahore Airport when he was trying to smuggle foreign currency worth 1,700 Saudi Riyals, 46,600 UAE Dirham, 240,000 Euro, 41,000 Swiss Franc, amounting total to Rs30.32 million and 1,300 tolas of gold, amounting Rs60 million to Dubai.
Subsequently, an FIR was lodged against Abdul Basit, Maulvi Taufeeq, Nadeem, Tahir and other accused persons under Sections 2(s)-16-139-156-(1)(8)(70)-157-178 of the Customs Act 1969 and Section 8 (2) of Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947.
During investigations, the Customs’ investigators through a letter No.19-Seiz/I&P/2015/337 dated May 21, 2015 wrote Chief Security Officer (CSO), ASF, Allama Iqbal Airport, Lahore to provide CCTV footage of some specific areas of the airport to ascertain the movements of Abdul Basit and other accused, if any, as currency and gold was delivered to him inside the international passenger departure lounge.
“After a month’s time, the ASF authorities provided us the incomplete footage”, a Customs official, privy to the developments, told The News.
The investigators through another letter C.No.19-Seiz/I&P/2015/539 dated August 18, 2015 wrote CSO of ASF to provide CCTV footage of required areas to complete ongoing investigations into the smuggling case.
“The CCTV footage provided by you, after lapse of some weeks, does not cover the required areas i.e entrance of vehicles, Concors Hall, 2nd scanner installed in the immigration hall, area of CD shop of International Passenger Departure Lounge, washrooms and departure passenger lounge where the accused passenger was stopped”, reads the letter.
Due to non-production of said CCTV footage, some confusion will be created in final investigation. Therefore, you are once again requested to provide CCTV footage of said areas within three days, so actual place could be showed where the goods were handed over to accused passenger, the letter ends.
According to sources, even after the lapse of 10 days, the head of airport security force did not respond the Customs authorities’ second letter as yet.
Customs officials, on the condition of anonymity, told The News that the investigators had also included eight ASF officials who were on duty on the night of May 20, 2015 at those suspected areas where Basit was delivered gold and currency. Despite summons, they said, none of them had appeared before the investigators as yet.
Meanwhile, investigators submitted interim challan of the case in the court of Special Judge (Customs, Taxation & Anti-Smuggling) Lahore on June 8, 2015.According to the interim challan, during the preliminary investigations, Abdul Basit told the investigators that the gold and currency he was trying to smuggle belonged to one Tahir alias Jadugar of Soha Bazaar, Rang Mahal, Lahore and Nadeem of Montgomery Road, Lahore respectively. He told the investigators that he was smuggling those items on the directions of his uncle Maulvi Tafueeq alias Tafi. He said that it was Tafi who arranged all the smuggling material at Lahore Airport. It is pertinent to mention here that Taufeeq and Nadeem are brothers.
Taufeeq owns six shops at airport, including one medical store, a CD shop, one photocopy shop, one flower shop and a canteen, etc, the interim challan reads.
According to the interim challan, Taufeeq, Tahir, Nadeem and Sher Ali, one employee of Taufeeq at CD shop located inside the airport, obtained pre-arrest bails and joined investigations.
Meanwhile, on July 2, 2015 Abdul Basit pleaded his guilty before the court and placed himself at the mercy of the court. In his confessional statement, he told the court that the gold and currency belonged to Saifullah alias Salfi who had delivered the same to him through his representatives outside the airport. He told the court that he was compelled to mention names of Taufeeq Butt, Muhammad Nadeem, and Tahir Jadugar by the Customs authorities.
After Basit pleaded guilty before the court, the court sentenced him for the imprisonment of period already he had undergone with a fine of Rs2 million. The court ordered his immediate release after he paid the fine.
Sources revealed that Taufeeq alias Tafi, Nadeem, Tahir alias Jadugar and Sher Ali had recorded their statements before the investigators. According to them, Taufeeq told the investigators that he was at home when he received a call from his sister who informed him about the arrest of his nephew Abdul Basit and he immediately reached the airport.
Nadeem claimed his innocence before the investigators saying that he was out of country when the incident took place. Similarly, Tahir Jadugar stated that he did not own the gold Basit was carrying with him when he was captured. Sher Ali recorded his statement. Besides, employees of Taufeeq recorded their statements in the case.
It is also learnt that the Customs authorities have also summoned Manager of Taufeeq named Asghar Ali but so far he could not appear before the investigators.
According to travel history of Abdul Basit, he constantly travelled abroad from Lahore airport in 2015.
On January 2, 2015, he arrived at Lahore, on February 01, 2015, he departed from Lahore, on February 4, 2015, he arrived at Lahore, on February 25, 2015, he departed from Lahore, on February 28, 2015, he arrived at Lahore, on March 12, 2015, he departed from Lahore, on March 13, 2015, he arrived at Lahore, on April 24, 2015, he departed from Lahore, on April 25, 2015, he arrived at Lahore and Abdul Basit was leaving from Lahore on May 20, 2015 when he was captured by the Customs authorities with gold and currency.
Taufeeq Butt, when contacted on Friday, said he was implicated in the case by Customs authorities but he had not committed any unlawful act. Conceding to the fact that Abdul Basit is his nephew, Taufeeq said he had nothing to do with what Basit had done on May 20, 2015. To another question, he said he owns few shops at the Lahore Airport. He did not respond to the question that when he was awarded contract of those shops located at the airport.
Talking to The News on Friday, ASF CSO Obaidullah said they had provided all the CCTV footages to Customs authorities they had in their possession. He refuted the charge that ASF was not cooperating in the investigations saying they did not have the CCTV footage of those areas Customs’ investigators were demanding from us.
When contacted, in charge investigation team of Customs, Assistant Director Saqib-ur-Rehman said Customs had challenged the verdict of the Special Judge in the relevant court as punishment to Abdul Basit was very less than what it should have been.
Mentioning the second part of Section 156-(1)(8) of Customs Act 1969, the Customs official said gold and currency are notified items by the Federal Government in the official Gazette and sentence of imprisonment under these laws shall not be less than five years besides ten time fine of the value captured from the accused. He also confirmed that ASF has not responded their request of CCTV footage as yet.