KARACHI: Customs laws has defined harsh penalties for pilferage or replaced enroute of transshipment of goods without payment of duty.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued Customs Act, 1960 updated till June 30, 2019 incorporating changes brought through Finance Act, 2019.
According to the customs laws
If any goods which are loaded for transshipment, are pilfered, replaced en-route or failed to reach the port of destination, or any person transships goods not allowed to be transshipped;
Then such goods and the conveyance illegally carrying these goods shall be liable to confiscation and any person including the custodian involved in the offence and the bonded carrier shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten times the value of the goods and he shall further be liable, upon conviction by a Special Judge, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.
If any person contravenes any rule relating to transshipment other than mentioned above;
Then such person including the custodian and the inland carrier shall be liable to penalty not exceeding five hundred thousand rupees or three times the amount of duties and taxes involved.
Under Section 121 of the Act, the transshipment of goods without payment of duty has been allowed.
Section 121: Transshipment of goods without payment of duty
Sub-Section (1): Subject to the provisions of section 15 and the rules, the appropriate officer may, on application by the owner of any goods imported at any customs-station and specially and distinctly manifested at the time of importation as for transshipment to some other customs-station or foreign destination, grant leave to transship the same without payment of duty, if any, chargeable on such goods with or without any security or bond for the due arrival and entry of the goods at the customs-station of destination:
Provided that at customs-station where the Custom Computerized System, is operational, the system may automatically authorize transshipment to other customs-station subject to risk selectivity criteria.
Sub-Section (2): The Board may, subject to rules and such conditions as it may deem fit to impose, authorize certain carriers to transport goods under the multimodal, scheme. Goods transported under the multimodal scheme shall be specially and distinctly manifested at the time of importation as for transshipment to some other customs-station or foreign destination and shall not –
(a) require distinct permission for transshipment from the customs-station of first entry into the country to be transported to the customs-station of destination. The principal carrier issuing the multimodal bill of lading or air way bill will be responsible for the sanctity of the cargo during transportation between the customs-station of first entry into the country to the customs-station of destination; and
(b) be subject to the risk management system at the customs station of first entry.
Sub-Section (3): The Board may, subject to such conditions as it may deem fit, grant license to any carrier to carry goods under the multimodal scheme.
