373 smuggling cases lodged in 2021-2022 fiscal year

LAHORE:The anti-smuggling wing of Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation-Customs, Lahore, lodged 373 cases of non-duty payment, smuggled goods and vehicles worth Rs5.707 billion from July 2021 to June 2022.

The Directorate under the leadership of Director Ms Saima Aftab and Additional Director Muhammad Hassan Farid devised a multipronged strategy for the prevention of smuggling during the 2021-22.

The Directorate of I&I despite lack of human and material resources, contributed significantly to the anti-smuggling drive initiated by the FBR. During various anti-smuggling operations and raids, the Directorate had mainly made seizures of foreign origin goods notified under section 2(s) of the Customs Act, 1969 i.e. fabrics, betel nuts, tyres, auto parts, cigarettes, luxury vehicles etc, which constitutes around 70 percent of the above-mentioned figure.

Moreover, the Directorate exponentially surpassed all the previous figures in respect of smuggled vehicles’ seizures worth Rs816.540 million (Approx.) during the year. The Directorate framed 41 contraventions of having value of offending good tune of Rs13.827 billion involving evasion of duty and taxes of Rs2.430 billion.

The Directorate of I&I, from January 2022 to June 2022, also accelerated the disposal of confiscated goods/vehicles through frequent public auctions. The total proceeds of public auctions stand at Rs674.435 million (Approx). In addition to this, the Directorate also realised the total proceeds of Rs178.864 million (Approx.) on account of goods released on redemption fine along with duty and taxes.