The Directorate in its incident report, which is exclusively available to Daily Business Recorder, claimed that the team had followed all legal procedure and conducted raid on a tip-off that huge quantity of smuggled / non-duty paid / contraband goods of foreign origin comprising cigarettes / gutka / betel nuts and were dumped at the place for further supply in the local market.
Moreover, it said the team before initiating search served the statement under section 163 of the Customs Act 1969 to the watchman of the premises and also pasted the same on the main-door thereof, in the presence of witnesses. However, the report did not mention the presence of Musheer at the time of raid, which was a mandatory requirement as per law.
On the one hand, the Directorate claimed to have taken Pakistan Rangers and police on board and described this fake raid as 'joint operation,' while on the other hand, it also alleged that police and Pakistan Rangers acted as silent spectators and made no efforts to restrain the mob threatening the Directorate's staff during raid or control the heavy firing or prevent the blocking of entry / exit points by the miscreants, raising a question why the law enforcement agencies did not cooperate with the Directorate's staff, despite giving consent what the Directorate said for 'joint operation'.
However, sources informed that the protesters along with the custodians of warehouse expressed strong resentment over the raid and reminded Directorate's staff that they pay them Rs 2.5 million as bribe on monthly basis. Later, this quarrel led to exchange of fire, which caused Sindh Rangers and area police rushed at the spot.
The Directorate in its incident report further claimed that during examination of the smuggled goods conducted on 19.10.2018 and 20.10.2018, an amount of Rs 2.7 million was retrieved which was concealed in one of the nearly 214 cartons of seized goods, which were brought to the Directorate on two trucks.
And the relevant examining staff immediately took cognizance of the discovered amount, recorded it in a thoroughly professional manner and handed it over to the accounts branch of the Directorate for depositing in the strong room.
However, the leaked video of detained person, who was one of private armed men conducted raid under the guise of customs sepoys, revealed that he found the package containing Rs 2.7 million during raid at the said warehouse, which was immediately taken by an accused Jamal, another private armed person during raid. He also confessed to have returned Rs. 0.83 million through his father to the Directorate after his arrest.
Meanwhile, sources termed this incident report 'manipulated', saying that the top bureaucracy of DGI&I, Karachi through this report made an attempt to protect its 'blue-eyed' customs intelligence officials from departmental inquiry.
Despite the fact that the leaked video has clearly shown the Irfan Ghani customs intelligence officer was counting the looted money at his flat, which was supposed to be done at the Directorate, the incident report has described his said act as 'thoroughly professional'.
Sources said the top bureaucracy of DGI&I, Karachi not only kept mum but through this unsound report gave an impression of 'hand in glove' in such heinous crime. Sources therefore demanded the FBR chairman to look into the matter and initiate independent inquiry in order to take all responsible persons and their supporters to task. When contacted, Director DGI&I Fayyaz Anwar was not available on phone for comments.