Customs’ performance in 2020-2021: Goods worth Rs58 billion seized during anti-smuggling operations

LAHORE:Pakistan Customs, under the leadership of the Member Customs (Operations) contributed significantly towards revenue collection and devised a strategy to counter smuggling during the financial year 2020-21.

All the field formations of Customs Enforcement executed the vision with sheer commitment and hard work. Resultantly, during the anti-smuggling operations in the country, goods worth more than Rs58 billion were seized.

The Collectorate of Customs Enforcement, Lahore, utilised the services of young officers and material resources to implement FBR’s vision. During various anti-smuggling operations on roads and at storage places inside and outside city limits of Lahore, the Collectorate made seizures of POL products, cloth, cigarettes, auto parts, betel nuts, skimmed milk, welding rods, tyres, luxury vehicles etc worth more than Rs4.2 billion.

According to Customs Enforcement & Compliance Collector Basit Maqsood Abbas, “Crossing the milestone of Rs 4 billion is a record in the history of Enforcement Collectorate, Lahore. Moreover, the Collectorate realized more than Rs 530 million from auctions and duty/taxes on disposal of confiscated goods, he shared.

The real contribution of the Collectorate towards the national cause was increasing the cost of smuggling and creating deterrence while enhancing the revenue potential from legal trade. The Collectorate’s policy of taking the bull by the horn in dealing with the biggest smuggling rackets of the country created a chain reaction which made significant dents to the smuggling and trade in smuggled goods.

The counter-smuggling operations against illegal POL outlets also led to an increase in the revenues from legal trade of POL products and similarly for other products the share of legal businesses expanded leading ultimately to national growth.