The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has chalked out a new strategy for establishing several customs stations across the Balochistan coastline, following withdrawal of anti-smuggling powers of the Frontier Corp (FC)/Coast Guards.
Sources told Business Recorder on Sunday that the CBR had decided to set-up new customs stations at Dam (Sonmiani) and Zero Point (Starting of coastal highway converging point with RCD highway).
The board has also decided to strengthen the existing customs points on Balochistan coastline. These included customs stations at Ormara, Pasni, Gawadar and Jewani areas.
The sources said that the FC, NWFP/Balochistan, Coast Guards, Punjab Rangers and Sindh Rangers were no more empowered to perform customs functions. The customs, being the sole anti-smuggling agency in Balochistan, needs total organisational revamping to combat smuggling in the sea.
The board has decided to set-up new customs checkpoints and would purchase several high-speed boats and surveillance equipment along with light weapons to combat smuggling through the coastal areas of Balochistan.
In this connection, the collectors of customs have submitted reports to the board for devising an effective anti-smuggling strategy in Balochistan, which are based on the performance of coast guards during the last few years.
The sources said that the collectors had also submitted the technical details of the high-speed boats required by the customs officials to protect the Balochistan coastline.
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