LAHORE: The Anti-smuggling wing of Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation-Customs, Lahore has made 335 Cases of NDP / Smuggled goods and vehicles worth of Rs. 5.535 Billion during current financial year from July 2021 to June10 2022.
The Directorate headed by Director Ms. Saima Aftab who devised a multipronged strategy, along with Additional Director Hasan Farid and Deputy Director Ali Asad, for prevention of smuggling during the CFY 2021-22. As this directorate has territorial jurisdiction of Lahore & Gujranwala Divisions, the value of seizures made in the CFY is unprecedented and unparalleled.
The Directorate performance in Enforcement side is even better as Directorate framed 37 contraventions of having value of offending goods to tune of Rs. 13809 million involving evasion of duty and taxes of Rs. 2415 million.
The Directorate of I&I despite lack of human and material resources, contributed significantly in Anti-smuggling drive initiated by the FBR.
During various anti-smuggling operations/raids on road and damping places, the Directorate has mainly made seizures of foreign origin goods notified under section 2(s) of the Customs Act, 1969 i.e. fabrics, betel nuts, tyres, auto parts, cigarettes, luxury vehicles etc, which constitutes of around 70 percent of the afore-stated figure.
Moreover, the Directorate has exponentially surpassed all the previous figures in respect of NDP/Smuggled vehicles’ seizures having worth of Rs. 823.204 Million (Approx) during the CFY. This feat is mainly due to the restructuring of I&P Cell and utilization of investigation inputs for chasing out NDP vehicles networks with the help of sister enforcement agencies.
The Directorate of I&I, in the last half of the CFY (January – May) has also accelerated the disposal of confiscated goods/vehicles through frequent public auctions. The total proceeds of public auctions stand at Rs. 505 Million (Approx). In addition to this, the Directorate has also realized the total proceeds of Rs. 135 Million (Approx) on account of goods released on redemption fine along with duty & taxes.
On the directives of Collector Customs Enforcement Lahore Basit Abbasi, Customs Enforcement Lahore is coordinating and cooperating with I&I Lahore in the campaign against smuggling.