KARACHI: The Director General of Intelligence & Investigation – FBR has taken paramilitary forces onboard in its anti-smuggling campaign focusing Punjab in the second phase as in the first phase the network of smugglers of Sindh has been broken.
Director General Intelligence & Investigation-FBR and Chief Collector (North) would hold meetings with the Inspector General (FC) and Inspector General (Police), Khyber Pakhtoon for seeking assistance in anti-Smuggling operations, it was decided in a meeting held at Directorate General of Intelligence & Investigation –FBR chaired by DG I&I Imtiaz Ahmed to formulate strategy for effective and coordinated anti-smuggling operations.
Director General I&I and Chief Collector would also remain in contact with IG Islamabad, IG Punjab and IG Motorways to seek their operational support.
The meeting nominated Collector MCC Peshawar as the ‘focal person’ for conducting all anti-smuggling activities in Peshawar region. Moreover, Director I&I Peshawar will share information with the concerned formations regarding vehicles being used in the smuggling of goods within two days.
Regional Directorates Intelligence & Investigation-FBR, Islamabad, Faisalabad and Lahore and Model Customs Collectorates, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Sambrial and Lahore (Preventive) would also follow a similar joint anti-Smuggling strategy to curb smuggling activities in their respective jurisdictions and share contact numbers of focal persons and other staff for joint operations and sharing of information. They will identify points in their jurisdictions as done by MCC Peshawar.
Regional focal persons at the level of additional directors/additional collectors will be notified in coordination with the concerned collector/director.
In case any smuggling target is missed/slipped at any check point, information will be relayed to all concerned focal persons of the areas of jurisdiction. The meeting decided that smuggled goods would to be apprehended without any compromise.
The meeting decided that all collectorates and regional directorates of the Northern Region will hold meetings with local transporters associations and send them a clear message that no offending vehicle belonging to these transport companies would be spared if found involved in smuggling activities.