ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP): In pursuit of the vision of the Prime Minister to curb the menace of trade of counterfeit and non duty paid cigarettes, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has urged the Inland Revenue and Customs Field Formations to beef up enforcement measures to control the trade of counterfeit, non-duty paid and smuggled cigarettes. According to a press statement issued by the board, the Chairman FBR had issued directives to expedite the administrative and enforcement measures against the trade of counterfeit, non-duty paid and smuggled cigarettes.
Resultantly, during the period July 2020 to January 2021, the IREN network conducted 65 raids across the country to curb the trade of counterfeit/non duty paid cigarettes. During the raids, 44.827 Million counterfeit cigarettes sticks, worth Rs. 97.507 Million were confiscated. Similarly, Pakistan Customs has taken number of preventive measures to curb smuggling of cigarettes in particular and other contrabands and goods in general. The Customs staff posted at Airports, Sea Ports and Land Custom Stations have been instructed to be more vigilant to control smuggling of cigarettes.
Anti-smuggling Squads, Mobile Units and staff posted at Customs Check Posts have been sensitised to interdict smuggling of cigarettes. In pursuance to specific information, raids have been conducted on godowns wherein cigarettes and other smuggled goods have been stored and thus huge quantities have been recovered.
According to the statement, the auction rules have been modified thus imposing a ban on the auction of seized or smuggled cigarettes and have been included in the list of goods to be destroyed w.e.f. July 23, 2020 to discourage the use of auction papers for transport of smuggled cigarettes. Trainings and seminars have been arranged in coordination with leading cigarette manufacturers to educate the Customs officers and staff about latest trends in smuggling of cigarettes and also sharing of information for effective seizure of cigarettes.
Since July 2020 to January 2021, Pakistan Customs has seized a quantity of 7,152,265 smuggled sticks of cigarettes having a value of Rs 549 million, the statement added.
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