Pakistani citizens are fumed over the recent allegations of a stolen Bentley found in DHA Karachi. According to the sources on the web this Bentley was illegally shipped from the UK. However, the owner has denied the accusations of shipping the car all the way from London. But how did this car end up in DHA? And cleared all customs? To find out about the truth behind this story, continue reading the article!
This whole case has also put Sindh Excise and Taxations Department in a tight spot. Because according to the documents they cleared the car without major legal procedures. Thus aiding in this illegal process. Jameel Shafi who had purchased this car revealed that he has nothing to do with the shipping. In fact he bought the car from a ‘broker’ who actually initiated the entire process. According to the local reporters, the real culprit is currently trying to escape.
This news has surfaced on the web admitting the country is already trying to battle high inflation and severe floods. So, is this really an attempt at degrading the country further?
Citizens are furious over ruining the country’s image
The citizens have expressed their worry and anger over Twitter. One went as far as tagging the official British authorities involved in the case and questioned them about how the British officials cleared the shipping of the vehicle in the first place. Which is a valid argument.
This luxury Bentley car is worth more than $300,000! Obviously being parked in such a posh area had already raised suspicion. Finally the Collectorate of Customs Enforcement (CCE) raided the house that the ‘owner’ of the car lives in. They traced this house because of the reports from the UK National Crime Agency. But how did they know that the car was in Karachi? Well, the Agency made use of the tracker found in the car. Which gave the exact location in DHA. Upon this raid, they seized the Bentley along with the owner after he failed to prove that the car was legally his. This advanced tracking system worked because the smugglers didn’t turn it off.
Moreover, the Bentley’s chassis number also proved that the owner smuggled the car from London, UK. But the car already had a Pakistani registration number plate. This suspicious case regarding the Bentley is not doing any good to the image of the country. Especially in these dire times!
The documents of a top diplomat of an East European country were used in the smuggling of this car. And this has also resulted in the theft of 300 million Pakistani rupees. This case has also led to the revelation of an ‘international car smuggling racket’. The authorities have arrested Nadeem Yameen who is the prime suspect in the case. Apparently he’s the head of this smuggling racket. He looked over the deal which confirmed the transfer of the vehicle from the broker to the owner. Not only this but his past records are also not clear. Yameen has several cases filed against him in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Usually the transfers of such expensive vehicles require a lengthy process. First the vehicle needs to get an approval from the Ministry of External Affairs, NOC from Pakistan Customs, and finally a receipt of payment of duty and taxes. But the fact that the owner already had the car without these legal formalities is raising eyebrows. Hence the officials operating the Sindh Excise are also equally responsible in the smuggling of the luxurious Bentley.
These are the official details of the car as shown by the government’s site:
The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Collectorate of Customs has also released an official statement regarding this matter. This report mentions that the car belongs to London and they found it in DHA Karachi. They also gave specifications of the car.
As there was no key for the vehicle, they had to lift the car. The board then cleared the car and they shipped it to the Wharf for further legal investigation.
Real Story Behind the #Bentley Stolen from UK and Recovered from Karachi pic.twitter.com/sBdRl6uOZa
— OpenSkyNews (@OpenSky_News) September 4, 2022
Similar cases like this one have also happened in the past
Back in 2020, Ambassador Aleksandar Borisov Parashkevov was recalled from his duties over corruption charges. He illegally involved himself in the smuggling of liquor and vehicles for the Pakistani citizens. The government did not let him complete his duties. This case was also regarding the smuggling of Bentley. An investigation proved that the Ambassador aided the entire process for a Pakistani friend. He accepted USD 40,000/- for his work.
The authorities also investigated the ambassador for a case regarding the imported liquor. The consignment’s weight went way over the set quota due to which an inspection was ordered. This led to a whole new case. The official authorities also seized 9 expensive vehicles which all made their way to the country through illegal practices.
The authorities will investigate if the case also leads towards insurance claims after being shipped from UK to Pakistan.
