KARACHI: Director General I&I Customs and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) nominated focal person (ASO) Lutfullah Virk would chair an important anti-smuggling meeting at Custom House Karachi today (Thursday).
Chief Collector Enforcement, Directors I&I Karachi and Quetta, Collectors Preventive, Hyderabad, Gwadar & Quetta and Additional Directors & Additional Collectors will attend the meeting.
Sources said that the meeting would finalize an information sharing and coordination methodology among collectorates and directorates regarding the crackdown against smuggling to be initiated shortly.
It was known that assistance of law enforcement agencies including Rangers would also be sought particularly in setting up check-posts at highways.
Sources said that this operation has been planned at the borders of Balochistan due to political mediation. It was also known that if any anti-smuggling action is undertaken in Balochistan, the smugglers bring people forward who chant slogans for separation from Pakistan. These smugglers are patronized by other countries and their agencies and also enjoy political support.
Therefore, it has been decided to focus on Hub city where situation is relatively better and on highways to arrest transportation of smuggled products.
Collectorates of Gwadar, Preventive, Hyderabad and Directorate of I&I Customs will play the leading role in the campaign against smuggling including diesel that comes from Iran.
It was known that smuggling of diesel was being carried out in a very organized manner. The diesel depots obtain diesel from oil marketing companies (OMCs) against official invoices but half of this is offloaded at some fuel stations and quantity is matched with smuggled diesel. These dealers (depots) use these invoices multiple times to cover transportation of smuggled commodity.
These dealers have their storage facilities in Korangi, Ibrahim Hyderi and Manghopir, SITE area and many other areas of the city.
I&I Quetta has also been assigned to check the mis-declaration and under-invoicing and under-weighment of consignment coming from Bandar Abbas by Tuftan Customs.
High level anti-smuggling meeting on Thursday; crackdown strategy to be finalized
