Customs seized over Rs1m goods, vehicles in Oct

LAHORE : On the direction of Intelligence & Investigation Customs, Pakistan DG Faiz Ahmad Chadhar, the Lahore Range has shown incredible performance during October 2023.

Unprecedented achievements have been made by the Customs Intelligence Lahore in both anti-smuggling and enforcement fields. Lahore team followed, in letter and spirit, the DG’s zero tolerance policy against smuggling and evasion. Despite scanty resources, the Directorate achieved extraordinary results by punctilious planning and precise implementation of tax laws under adept management and supervision of Director, M Haris Ansari.

The teams in the field were actively supervised and led by Additional Director Ch Rizwan Bashir Kalair. According to Rizwan Bashir, Anti-smuggling arm of the Directorate has successfully framed 54 seizures of record value of Rs1,703million in October 2023. This is new record for highest value of seizures in a single month surpassing previous best of Rs1,231million by 38.34pc made during the last financial year.

Anti-smuggling wing of Customs Intelligence Lahore made record seizures in the month of October. The record of highest value of seizure cases during a single month has been set in October 2023 as this team has surpassed its own previous best record of Rs1,231million achieved during October 2022 by 38pc, seizing goods and vehicles worth Rs1,703million in October 2023. The operations were planned and executed jointly with Police and other LEAs including intelligence agencies. According to him, Organised gangs involved in smuggling of POL, cigarettes and tobacco items have also been busted during this period and the criminal proceedings have been initiated against accused persons. A major crackdown has been initiated against mafia involved in the smuggling of diesel and petrol jointly with Intelligence agencies.

Enforcement branch detects evasion of duty and taxes cases from custom stations (dry ports / air ports etc). During October 2023, the Enforcement Wing of Customs Intelligence, Lahore performed exceptionally well. Enforcement wing has registered cases involving Duty & Taxes of Rs138 million in October 2023 as compared to Rs05 million in corresponding month of last year, thus displaying augmentation by 2660pc.

Enforcement wing has registered cases involving CIF value of Rs338 million, in October 2023 as compared to Rs12 million in corresponding month of last year, thus registering an increase by 2716pc. During the first four months of FY-23-24, the revenue realised by the enforcement branch is about Rs40.5 million, over and above already paid amount and the increase in revenue realized is a whopping 300pc.

Director General Customs Intelligence, Faiz Ahmad Chadhar has lauded efforts of the Lahore team for unprecedented achievements on both fronts. He emphasised that this contribution of Lahore Region is part of a coordinated drive of the Directorate General of Customs Intelligence in particular and FBR in general against smuggling and tax evasion. He stressed that performance of the Directorate General of Intelligence & Investigation-Customs throughout the country was exceptional, especially when compared with available scarce resources (HR &

finances).

Director Customs Intelligence lauded the efforts of active supervision and coordination of Ch. Rizwan Bashir Kalair, Additional Director with LEAs along with Shah Samad Hamdani, Deputy Director, ASO and M Mubeen (Supdt ASO), Rai Waqar (Supdt ASO Gujranwala) and Hameed Bhatti (Supdt Enforcement) and his teams and emphasised that such crackdown against menace of smuggling and evasion of duty and taxes shall continue with full force.