Over 10,000 mobile phone IMEI scams have been covered, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has requested that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) file a lawsuit.
According to sources, PTA requested that the FBR conduct the inquiry legally in a letter to them based on the application they had received.
Chief collector North has been instructed to produce a report on the situation as soon as possible by FBR headquarters, which has since issued that directive.
According to the document, the Customs Collectorate in Islamabad has filed formal complaints (FIRs) against two importers, Al-Hamd Enterprises and Pak-China dealers, for falsifying the IMEIs of more than 10,000 smartphones from well-known brands.
The higher-ups at Customs Islamabad are strangely reluctant to take action against the six customs officers accused of conspiring with the importers to fraudulently examine, assess, and release more than 100 consignments of branded and pricey mobile phones, costing the government about Rs. 360 million in lost revenue.
According to the information, someone complained to the top customs collector of Islamabad, Imran Khan Mohmand, alleging that specific custom examiners and appraisers had conspired with the importers.
The complainant said that even after the FBR’s post-clearance audit division discovered the fraud and requested that the Islamabad Customs Collectorate completely uncover the financial losses caused, the authorities only audited six consignments.
Six customs officials—Inspector Raja Hamid, Inspector Faraz Hussain, Principal Appraiser Zia Hassan, Customs Appraiser Effan Younis, and Appraiser Officers Saima and Faiza—had been instructed by the Islamabad Collectorate to respond to the use of the mobile GD system.
The Customs Collectorate confirmed in the explanatory memo that 8,299 mobile phones’ IMEI numbers were altered, despite just 5,216 being listed in the FIRs and no mention of the other more than 3,000 mobiles, indicating that it was reportedly attempting to protect its employees.
