Nineteen benami cars cases filed

KARACHI: The Anti-Benami Zone, Karachi has filed cases against 19 vehicles, which were recently discovered as purchased in the names of individuals, who either failed to prove their income or had fake identities, The News learnt on Wednesday.

“As many as 19 references have been filed against vehicles, which were recently identified as benami,” an official privy to the matters told The News.

Investigation revealed the vehicles were mostly registered in the names of persons working for the real owners.

He said the zone had initiated an exercise couple of months ago and the vehicles were declared as benami after authentic information from excise and taxation department of Sindh.

“The estimated worth of the vehicles is around Rs150 million,” the official said, adding that the beneficial owners of these vehicles were yet to be identified.

In order to comply with the law a public notice was issued in this regard to intimate the actual owners; however not a single person had come forward to claim the ownership of these benami vehicles, the source said.

“After adjudication the vehicles will be auction and the money be deposited into the national kitty,” he said.

The vehicles include two Mercedes-Benzes, two BMWs, a Cadillac Escalade, two Toyota Prados, five Suzuki Mehrans, five Toyota Corollas and two Suzuki Cultuses.