QUETTA: Customs Quetta in a joint operation with FC recovered large quantity of smuggled goods hidden in Khesar Nullah.
Information was passed through Collector Preventive Quetta Irfan Javed that large quantity of smuggled goods had been dumped at a secret place near Noshki. These goods were to be distributed to different cities in the country.
Irfan Javed advised Additional Collectors Yasir Kalwhar and Qasim Khokhar to thwart the attempt.
Subsequently, Deputy Collector Akbar Jan formed a team comprising Superintendent Saleem Mandokhail and Inspector Farid Rind. They along with FC North Region staff conducted a raid and recovered large quantity of smuggled goods including betel nut and tyres from Khesar Nullah.
The value of the seized goods is estimated to be Rs30 million.
Customs and FC are undertaking a rigorous anti-smuggling campaign, and goods worth hundreds of million rupees have been seized in several operations.
The act of smuggling has several consequences, all of which can have disastrous wider effects.
Because smuggling isn’t regulated and outside of the government’s tax net which can lead to a loss of revenue.
Smuggling generates huge profits – most of which goes back to the crime syndicate to fund more illegal activity. This creates a rise in crime and can affect tourism, amongst other things.
The evasion of tax and duties on smuggled goods inevitably mean a loss of tax revenue for the government – which eventually reduces their ability to develop and progress as a state or country.
While legitimate businesses pay a series of taxes on the goods they produce, smuggling bypasses these taxes which slowly destroys the local economy.
When smuggling overtakes a functioning economy, it creates instability. This then discourages business and investments from coming into the area.
Cognizant of the issue, PM Imran Khan launched a rigorous anti-smuggling campaign without taking any pressure from any one.