Smugglers warned of penalties, imprisonment

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday announced monetary penalties and imprisonment for individuals found involved in smuggling of goods.

Under the Finance Bill 2020/21, any smuggled goods into or out of Pakistan will be liable to confiscation and any person concerned in the offence will be liable to face penalty and imprisonment.

“If the value of the goods is from Rs150,001 to Rs3,000,000, then a penalty would not be exceeding the value of the goods and upon conviction by a special judge the individual will further be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years,” the finance bill document said. “If the value of the goods is from Rs3,000,001 to Rs5,000,000 then a penalty would not be exceeding two times the value of the goods and upon conviction the individual will further be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years provided that the sentence of the imprisonment shall not be less than two years.”

Under the new law, if the value of the goods is from Rs5,000,001 to Rs7,500,000 then a penalty would not be exceeding three times the value of the goods and upon conviction the person would further be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years provided that the sentence of the imprisonment would not be less than two and half years.

If the value of the goods is from Rs7,500,001 to Rs10,000,000, then a penalty would not be exceeding four times the value of the goods and upon conviction the person will further be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years provided that the sentence of the imprisonment will not be less than three years.

If the value of the goods exceeds Rs10,000,000 then a penalty would not be exceeding five times the value of the goods and upon conviction the person will further be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years provided that the sentence of the imprisonment will not be less than five years and the whole or any part of his moveable and immoveable assets and property will also be liable to forfeiture in accordance with section 187 of the Customs Act, 1969 provided further that in the case of such goods, the sentence of imprisonment will not be less than five years and the whole or any part of his property will also be liable to forfeiture. ?