Role of Model Collectorate of Customs (Preventive)

MUHAMMED YAHYA
ARTICLE (January 26 2008): Customs plays a pivotal role in international trade, not only through providing expeditious clearing processes but also by implementation of effective controls that secure revenue, ensure compliance with national laws, and guarantee security and protection of society.

The efficiency and effectiveness of Customs procedures has a significant impact on the economic competitiveness of nations, growth of international trade and the development of the global market place. Customs enforcement emphasises the protection of society and fighting transnational organised crime embarking upon the principles of risk management.

To accomplish this mandate, Customs enforcement services are involved in a wide range of activities ranging from information and intelligence exchange to combating the commercial fraud and counterfeiting, from fighting the electronic crime to curbing the menace of smuggling of highly taxed goods, arms, nuclear materials, toxic waste, weapons of mass destruction and endangered species of plants and animals.

Preventive administrations are therefore in a unique position to provide increased security to the global trade supply chain and to contribute to socio-economic development at national level through revenue collection, passenger and trade facilitation.

Collectorate of Customs, Preventive, established in 1973, is one of the most important Collectorates of Pakistan Customs. At that time this Collectorate dealt with functions related to anti-smuggling, passenger facilitation, clearance of bulk imports, and exports.

Subsequently, in early 90s, two other Collectorates, Exports and Port Muhammad Bin Qasim, were cleaved from Preventive Collectorate. Currently, major functions performed by this collectorate include Passenger Facilitation, Anti-smuggling, Anti-Narcotics, and Imports related operation at AFU and Oil Section. The Collectorate has a vast, diversified and well established system of dealing with all the vessels calling at Karachi Port, whether they are small cargo boats or large cargo carriers, or even the bulk oil carriers.

The anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics functions of the Collectorate are especially important in terms of safeguarding the country from the menace of smuggling and drug abuse.

The Collectorate is presently going through reforms process in light of the vision of Federal Board of Revenue as envisaged by Chairman FBR. International best practices are being introduced in the working of Collectorate.

Business process for transshipment and transit consignments (TP & AT) has been re-engineered. Sealing, de-sealing system has been centralised in order to ensure better controls and monitoring of any missing container. Study is underway to install trackers in bonded career vehicles for better monitoring of TP & AT.

This step shall make our system coherent with the global supply chain security system. Old manual methods of measurement of bulk cargo are gradually being replaced with Auto Tank Guaging system and flow meter measurement.

A number of steps have been introduced for trade & passengers facilitation. Green channel is fully operative at Jinnah International Airport, in true spirit. Online advance manifest filing has been introduced. Lost baggage is being delivered at the residence of passengers. Anti smuggling activities are being mechanised with the help of state of the art equipment procured from USA which can scan a sealed container at any time any where and can generate ultrasound image of any tanker from outside.

JINNAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, KARACHI:

The work of Preventive Collectorate at Jinnah International Airport (JIAP) comprises of the following sections.

1. Accompanied Baggage (Arrival / Departure).

2. Air Freight Unit.

3. Immediate Clearance Group.

4. Un-accompanied Baggage.

INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS:

The Preventive Staff at the International arrivals daily clears the baggage of more than 4000 passengers arriving from various international destinations at JIAP. In the light of WCO charter, the FBR has issued CGO-10 of 2006 providing facilitation and effective control, wherein the passengers are allowed to use the "GREEN CHANNEL" facility.

The Customs authorities, on the basis of risk profiling, can examine the baggage. From entry into the satellite till the exit from the customs hall, passenger and baggage movements are monitored through the electronic gadgets.

A separate unit called Rummaging & Patrolling Section was established at Karachi International Airport in 1985-86, which undertakes round the clock patrolling of tarmac, rummages aircrafts and conducts random checking at the runways, cargo terminals and satellite areas. Administrative control of various gates at JIAP is also entrusted to the R & P Section.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS UNIT (IPR): To fulfil the requirements of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and WCO, under the directives of FBR, the Collectorate has established IPR Enforcement Section at Jinnah International Airport to check the infringements of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

These offences affect everything that is manufactured and has a commercial value, touching all sectors from horticulture to auto industry to pharmaceuticals. The offenders keep pace with the latest technology and trends in the global market. The objectives are profit at any price and maximum cost-effectiveness, with total disregard to humanitarian considerations.

Nowadays, the means of production used by persons involved in counterfeiting are at par with those employed in the legitimate product market, and are based on the latest technology. The counterfeiters adopt an industrial approach, enabling them to improve both the quality and the quantity of counterfeit goods. A separate IPR Enforcement Section was established at JIAP in 2005. Following is the brief history of its seizures.

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YEAR CD/DVDs SEIZED VALUE
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2004 1,12,845 Rs 33,85,350/-
2005 1,05,875 Rs 31,76,250/-
2006 15,841 Rs 4,75,230/-
2007 19,225 Rs 5,76,750/-
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In January 2008, 3000 mobiles phones and 4000 pirated DVDs have been seized from postal parcels.

DRUG ENFORCEMENT CELL: Drug Enforcement Cell is the most important and effective enforcement section of the Preventive Collectorate. It was established in the year 1980 with the prime task of combating the menace of drug smuggling. It would be pertinent to mention that drug trafficking through air routes has always been an area of concern for customs.

With the World being reduced to a global village for international co-operation in most fields, the interdiction of drugs has gained paramount importance. Staff of Drug Enforcement Cell at airport carries out baggage examination of the selective outgoing passengers of International flights on risk profiling basis as well keeps vigil on all exports through Air Freight Unit, and Port Mohammad Bin Qasim.

Since its inception an independent unit of DEC has been working at JIAP since 1991. Detection of narcotics & contrabands is considered to be a classified job. Mostly cases have been detected based on concealment in baggage. The other trend which has developed in 1990s is concealments in body cavities which is detected through X-Rays & success ratio is 90%.

DEC has a modern Canine Unit having 23 trained sniffer Dogs at its disposal which are used not only at the wharves but also at Export Cargo Complex, and International Departures for drug enforcement. The performance of the DEC during the last five years is as under:

CUSTOMS K-9 UNIT: Collectorate of Customs (Preventive) has a modern and fully equipped K-9 unit at Jinnah International Airport Karachi. The primary objective of setting up the unit is to use Drug Detector Dogs to supplement the physical checks and scanning techniques currently in use against narcotics and terrorism.

22 drug detector dogs who are fully trained and handled by 10 professional handlers are available in the unit on 24 hrs basis to perform their duties at the Airport and port. The unit has specially built 17 Kennels for housing the dogs. The health and dietary needs of the sniffer Dogs are met according to the international standards. The Drug Detector Dogs have detected same remarkable cases. Recently 1.75 Kg heroin powder was seized on detection by the sniffer dog from a London bound PIA flight.

AIR FREIGHT UNIT (AFU): Working on 24x7 basis, the Airfreight Unit provides modern and efficient customs clearance facilities to air cargo imported at JIAP. Every day more than 200 import consignments are cleared from AFU. During 2007, AFU introduced the facility of electronic filing of cargo manifests by the airlines and e-filing of goods declaration for the importers. These steps have drastically reduced the customs clearance time at AFU. The Airfreight Unit comprises of the following sections:

(i) Gerry's D.nata Shed.

(ii) Shaheen Shed.

(iii) PIA Shed.

(iv) Immediate Clearance Group (ICG).

The imports cleared from AFU mostly consist of machinery parts, computer hardware, various telecom equipments, medicines and pharmaceutical raw materials. ICG provides round the clock expedited clearance facility for perishable items and live animals. All courier clearances are also made from ICG. Recently in-house clearance facility has been provided by customs to DHL within their premises at JIAP which is in line with international best practices.

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Year No of No of Heroin Charras
Seizure Arrest (Kgs) (Kgs)
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2003 174 172 162 0.65
2004 170 151 167 10.32
2005 80 72 085.340 Nil
2006 62 55 096.695 278
2007 77 75 136.590 Nil
Total 563 525 647.625 288.97
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(The writer is Collector, Model Collectorate of Customs, Preventive, Karachi.)


Copyright Business Recorder, 2008