The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a criminal case against Gas & Oil Pakistan Limited (Go Petroleum) and Terminal One Limited (TOL) over alleged multi-billion-rupee tax and petroleum levy evasion involving the illegal sale of Customs-bonded petroleum products. The case was filed by the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Karachi following an inquiry that uncovered large-scale irregularities in stock reporting and sales data.
Inquiry Initiated After Discrepancies Found
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the inquiry began in March 2026 after government agencies identified discrepancies in petroleum stock reporting, sales data, and information submitted to regulatory authorities. Subsequent forensic audits, stock verification exercises, customs record examinations, and supply-chain analysis revealed evidence of systematic evasion.
The inquiry found that imported petroleum products deposited in Customs-bonded warehouses cannot be removed, sold, or consumed without filing an Ex-Bond (EB) Goods Declaration and paying Customs duties, Petroleum Levy, and Climate Support Levy. Any removal without this is an offence under the Customs Act 1969.
Specific Instances of Evasion
As per the FIR, Go Petroleum imported High Octane Blending Component (HOBC) on March 2, 2026, into TOL’s bonded tanks at Port Qasim. The company sold approximately 4,744 metric tons of the bonded HOBC before filing its first Ex-Bond GD on March 22, 2026, thereby evading duties and levies.
A forensic analysis of a laptop seized from TOL’s Terminal Manager on April 2, 2026, recovered an Excel sheet documenting dispatches of bonded HOBC without Ex-Bond GDs. A physical inspection on June 22, 2026, at Go Petroleum’s Customs-bonded terminal in Mehmoodkot, Muzaffargarh, showed the same pattern.
Massive Discrepancy at Mehmoodkot Terminal
Reconciliation of Customs/WeBOC records from January 1 to June 22, 2026, showed that 39,121 metric tons of bonded Premium Motor Gasoline (PMG) should have been at the Mehmoodkot terminal, with no Ex-Bond GDs filed. This exceeds the terminal’s licensed capacity of 26,072 MT. A joint FIA-OGRA-Customs inspection on June 22, 2026, found only 7,039.7 MT in tanks. The inquiry concludes that approximately 32,081 MT of bonded PMG was clandestinely removed without filing Ex-Bond GDs or paying government dues worth billions of rupees.
Obstruction and Fabrication of Records
During a joint inspection on June 22, 2026, at TOL’s Port Muhammad Bin Qasim (PMBQ) Karachi facility, Terminal Manager Farid Ahmed Siddiqui allegedly obstructed verification, refused to provide bonded-stock data and dip-calibration charts, and refused to sign the joint stock proforma on the owner’s instruction, while threatening officials.
The FIA stated that the accused dishonestly removed and sold Customs-bonded petroleum entrusted to them in a fiduciary capacity, fabricated false stock records to conceal removals, and cheated the national exchequer of duties and levies, causing wrongful loss worth billions to the State. The inquiry added that the two instances reflect a countrywide pattern involving Go Petroleum.
Legal Provisions and Further Investigation
Based on preliminary findings, the FIA has nominated several officials of Go Petroleum and Terminal One Limited in the case. The case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Customs Act 1969, the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947, and the Pakistan Penal Code. The FIA said that the role of officers and officials of OGRA and any other persons found to have facilitated, abetted, or conspired in the offence will be determined during investigation.
