KARACHI: In pursuance of policy guidelines issued by Zulfikar Ali Chaudhary, Collector of Customs, Model Customs Collectorate (Preventive), Lahore, all the officers and staff of field formations of the Collectorate made all out efforts and have collected Rs.3.5 billions on account of duty and taxes which is 15% more than the assigned revenue target for the month of May, 2017.
Moreover, the present collection of Customs duty in the month of May, 2017 shows 39% increase, if compared with the collection in the corresponding month of last year. Whereas, overall revenue collection in the month of May, 2017 is also increased by 49% from the corresponding month of last year.
Since his appointment as Collector of Customs, Model Customs Collectorate (Preventive), Lahore, Zulfikar Ali Chaudhary has taken plenty of pragmatic and remarkable steps towards the improvement of Anti Smuggling Organization (ASO), Anti Narcotics activities, passenger facilitation and imports/exports related functions.
Special emphasis was given on the revamping of Anti Smuggling Organization (ASO) and anti narcotics functions of the Collectorate to safeguard the country from the evils of smuggling and drug abuse in an effective manner. The Anti Smuggling Organization was re-organized and new staff was deployed. Furthermore, new checking/patrolling squads have also been formulated with a specific focus, to intercept the non-customs paid (NCP) vehicles and to streamline the much sensitive intelligence gathering process so that the Government exchequer can be safeguarded by way of effectively checking the inflow of all imported commodities by illegal means.
These measures have, definitely, created a deterrence impact on the people involved in the smuggling of different kinds of high valued goods and it is quite evident from the recent remarkable performance of ASO which is going towards gradual substantial rise. The ASO staff during the month of May, 2017 has seized/detained the goods/vehicles having value more than 99.83 millions. The staff has specifically focused on the interception of smuggled/non duty paid luxury vehicles and during said month successfully impounded and seized/detained 23 vehicles having value more than 33.1 millions.
During this tenure from March to May, 2017 the staff has made out remarkable/significant cases. In the month of March, on 25.03.2017, the ASO staff raided the godown of M/s Qadri Hajvery Goods Forwarding Agency, Railway Godowns, Badami Bagh, Lahore and seized huge quantity of foreign origin cigarettes valuing Rs.10 millions. In the month of April, on 15.04.2017, the mobile squads had seized 560 mobiles of Samsung Brands valuing Rs.8.4 millions while in the way from Karachi to Lahore. Accordingly, an FIR was also lodged against the culprits. Recently in the month of May, 2017, on 07.05.2017, the ASO staff raided the premises of Ghulab Khan, Rahim Shah and Muhammad Afzal, and recovered huge quantity of smuggled/non duty paid Split Inverter Air conditioners and washing machines of LG brand valuing Rs.9 millions and a criminal case was also registered against the accused persons.
On 10.05.2017, ASO staff had recovered foreign origin curtain cloth having weight 6555 Kgs from Pak Afreedi Goods Transport Adda, Dosako Chowk, Sheikhupura valuing Rs.4 millions. Two narcotics interdiction cases were also reported by Customs Preventive staff posted at GPO wherein sizeable quantity of cocaine and marijuana was recovered from the incoming parcels, therefore, FIRs have been lodged accordingly and the “Investigation and prosecutions Cell” is probing/investigating the matter to bring the actual facts into light and to put the culprits behind the bars.