KARACHI: Smuggled, counterfeit and non-duty paid cigarettes worth over Rs600 million have been confiscated since July last year, according to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Since July 2020 to January 2021, Pakistan Customs has seized quantity of 7,152,265 smuggled sticks of cigarettes having value of Rs549 million.
Meanwhile, the FBR’s IREN network conducted 65 raids across the country to curb the trade of counterfeit and non-duty paid cigarettes during the same period. In the raids, 44.827 million counterfeit cigarettes sticks.
Revenue amounting to Rs95.678 million was involved in the confiscated counterfeit cigarettes out of which Rs2.2 million recovered and for remaining, mandatory legal proceedings were underway, according to FBR.
The FBR says that the raids were conducted in pursuit to the vision of Prime Minister to curb the menace of trade of counterfeit, non-duty paid cigarettes, which are not only hazardous to the health of general public but is also causing huge loss to the Government Exchequer.
The FBR has urged the Inland Revenue and Customs Field Formations to beef up the enforcement measures to control the trade of counterfeit, non-duty paid and smuggled cigarettes.
The Chairman FBR has issued directives to expedite the administrative and enforcement measures against the trade of counterfeit, non-duty paid and smuggled cigarettes.
Similarly, Pakistan Customs has taken number of preventive measures to curb smuggling of cigarettes in particular and other contrabands goods in general.
The Customs staff posted at Airports, Sea Ports and Land Custom Stations have been instructed to be more vigilant to control smuggling of cigarettes. Anti-smuggling Squads, Mobile Units and staff posted at Customs Check Posts have been sensitized to interdict smuggling of cigarettes.
In pursuance to specific information, raids have been conducted on go-downs wherein cigarettes and other smuggled goods have been stored and thus huge quantities have been recovered.
The auction rules have been modified thus imposing ban on the auction of seized and smuggled cigarettes and have been included in the list of goods to be destroyed since July last year to discourage the use of auction papers for transport of smuggled cigarettes.
The FBR says trainings and seminars have been arranged in coordination with leading cigarette manufacturers to educate the Customs officers and staff about latest trends in smuggling of cigarettes and also sharing of information for effective seizure of cigarettes.