KARACHI: The Customs Court issued non-bailable warrants against absconding suspects Muhammad Shafique Ahmed Qureshi, Khalid Ahmed and Abdul Moiz Majeed Bawany, who were nominated in a case of attempting to smuggled 27,000kg betel nuts.
On December 04, 2018, investigation officer of MCC Appraisement Port Muhammad Bin Qasim submitted that the suspects are still absconders and prosecution is trying its best for their arrest; therefore, court may grant time for submitting challan and their arrest.
According to the interim charge sheet, on an actionable information, a team of customs department recovered betel nuts from two containers arrived from Jebel Ali UAE in the name of importer/consignee M/s Sun Gravure, Export Processing Zone, Karachi and first information report (FIR) was lodged accordingly.
He further submitted that foregoing facts and circumstances of the case established that the absconding suspects with all due deliberations and with active collaboration of their associates have committed an offense which attracts the provisions of Section 2 (s) 16, 156 (2) and 178 of the Customs Act, 1969 punishable Clauses (8) (9) & (89) of Section 156 (1) ibid.
He further argued that all the evidences gathered against the above said culprits in earlier charge sheet, submitted in case no ASO 305/2018 may also be treated as integral part of this charge sheet, as the investigation of the case is still under way, therefore, it is prayed that further time may please be granted.
After hearing, the court took challan on record and issued non-bailable warrants against absconding suspects.