KARACHI: In a determined effort to combat the illegal trade of smuggled cigarettes, Customs Intelligence, under the guidance of Chairman FBR Mr. Asim Ahmad and the direct supervision of Director General Mr. Faiz Ahmad Chadhar, has intensified its crackdown across multiple regions. Over the past 24 hours, four successful operations were conducted, yielding significant results.
Two operations were carried out by Customs Intelligence in Karachi during the early hours of June 7, 2023. The first operation, near Bolton market, resulted in the seizure of 250,000 sticks of foreign brand cigarettes valued at Rs. 10.0 million. In the second operation, conducted in Karachi Sadar area, 400,000 sticks of high-end brand cigarettes valued at Rs. 25.0 million were confiscated. Furthermore, intelligence-based operations were carried out in Multan and Dera Ismael Khan on the evening of June 6, 2023. In Multan, Customs Intelligence seized 1,050,000 sticks of smuggled cigarettes valued at Rs. 40 million, while in Dera Ismael Khan, 40,000 sticks of smuggled cigarettes worth Rs. 4.0 million were recovered. The seized smuggled cigarettes included various brands such as Pine Mini, Dunhill, Inhale, Benson & Hedges, Speed Blue, and Royal Business.
In total, Customs Intelligence confiscated 1,780,000 sticks of smuggled cigarettes valued at Rs. 79 million within the past 24 hours alone. This brings the tally of seizures made by Customs Intelligence in the current fiscal year 2022-23 to 39,187,000 sticks valued at Rs. 1.093 billion. The Chairman FBR Mr. Asim Ahmad and Director General Mr. Faiz Ahmad commended the efforts of Customs Intelligence in Karachi, Dera Ismael Khan, and Multan, acknowledging their dedication in curbing the menace of smuggling, particularly in the realm of illegal cigarette trade.
The ongoing crackdown against smuggled cigarettes reflects the commitment of Customs Intelligence to protect the national economy, combat illicit activities, and enforce strict adherence to customs regulations.