The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) reported that it uncovered no comparable cases across the country after probing alleged irregularities in the customs clearance of a courier-imported iPhone 16 Pro Max. Finance and Revenue Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb told Parliament the matter involved a dispute between two private parties over a single handset and that the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) had examined the issue, leading to a detailed inquiry by the relevant Customs Collectorate.
The inquiry found the phone stayed in FedEx's custody and that all duties and taxes due had been settled. Customs later handed the device to an authorised recipient after confirming the required paperwork, including the original detention receipt and invoice.
Aurangzeb added that the recipient's name matched the details on the verifiable airway bill and that the complainant withdrew the complaint during the FTO proceedings.
To look for similar incidents, the Chief Collector of Customs (Airports), Islamabad, sent a comprehensive report to the FTO and the inquiry also audited key FedEx clearances for any matching cases.
"However, no cases of similar nature have been reported elsewhere," the minister stated in his written response to Parliament.
Customs Tightens Verification and Staff Training Procedures
The government outlined safeguards meant to stop courier shipments from reaching unauthorised recipients. Customs staff must cross-check recipient credentials against documents like the airway bill before releasing goods.
Officials also need to verify the original detention receipt issued by the department. Following the FTO's findings and suggestions, Customs has started an internal training programme for officers at Air Freight Units (AFUs) in international airports.
The programme features monthly sessions aimed at reinforcing clearance procedures and improving document verification.
The response tackles worries about handling courier-imported goods and the risk of consignments ending up with unauthorised parties. While the FBR maintains the iPhone case was an isolated private dispute, the inquiry and training steps underscore verification and accountability in customs clearance.
