Crackdown against smuggled non-duty paid cigrettes is continued

Customs intelligence seizes 450 kgs narcotics worth Rs4b in Karachi

Farzana Ali Khan
ISLAMABAD: Inland Revenue Enforcement Network (IREN) and Directorate General, Intelligence and Investigation-Customs have intensified countrywide operations against smuggled and Non-Duty paid cigarettes. The IREN has confiscated 11.7 million cigarettes worth Rs45 million involving duty and tax evasion of Rs24.4 million.
Similarly, in an another operation carried out by Directorate General, Intelligence and Investigation-Customs, huge quantity of smuggled cigarettes and Gutka valuing Rs80.1million has been seized which was concealed at Bolton Market, M.A. Jinnah Road, Karachi. FIR has been lodged against the guilty persons.In pursuit of Prime Minister’s vision and special instructions of Chairman FBR, crackdown against counterfeit, smuggled and non-duty paid cigarettes is in full swing. Inland Revenue Enforcement Network is active in all parts of the country to restrict the trade of illegal cigarettes. The teams of the IREN are working under Regional Coordinators in all major cities of the country and Central Coordinator, Intelligence and Investigation, Islamabad.
Besides, the Directorate of Customs Intelligence, Karachi in an intelligence based operation has seized huge quantity of high value narcotic substance. While following the intelligence at coastal line of Ibrahim Hyderi, Port Qasim Town, Karachi, the Customs Intelligence team apprehended four persons along with the boxes and packets containing methamphetamine (Ice Crystal) with the coordination of Naval Intelligence. The recovered narcotics weighed 450 kgs worth around Rs4,0121 million (Rs4 billion) in International market. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the real owners/culprits of these hazardous narcotics.