Karachi, July 21, 2025 – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has penalized three customs officials from the Collectorate of Customs Airports, Karachi, for their role in the incorrect examination, assessment, and clearance of consignments containing “New Samsung Galaxy Tablets A7.” The misconduct resulted in a financial loss of Rs. 9.7 million to the national exchequer, which was later recovered through re-assessment. The three officials involved—Mr. Fazal Karim (Principal Appraiser, BS-17), Syed Hassan Mehdi (Senior Preventive Officer, BS-17), and Mr. Ali Zaman (Inspector, BS-16)—were all under suspension when disciplinary proceedings were initiated under the Civil Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 2020. The Directorate of Customs initiated the inquiry based on alleged negligence and inefficiency during assessment procedures that allowed the clearance of Samsung tablets at undervalued rates. Each officer was served with a charge sheet on January 6, 2025, followed by a detailed inquiry conducted by Ms. Nausheen Riaz Khan, Secretary (PCS/BS-19), who submitted her report on March 10, 2025. The inquiry concluded that while the charge of corruption was not proven against any of the three customs officials, the allegations of inefficiency and misconduct were substantiated. All officers were found to have demonstrated negligence in their duties, which led to revenue leakage and delayed clearance of goods. The officers were issued show-cause notices and provided the opportunity to defend themselves during personal hearings held on July 10, 2025. They all denied the charges, attributing…