MoF informs Senate panel: MCC Multan seizes smuggled goods worth Rs3.918bn

ISLAMABAD: The Finance Ministry has informed the Senate Standing Committee on Finance that the Model Customs Collectorate of Multan has seized smuggled goods of Rs3,918 million in 899 cases during the fiscal year 2022-23.

The ministry in a brief to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance contended that law enforcement agencies have been deployed and working seven days a week to counter smuggling of essential commodities.

The Model Customs Collectorate Multan has intensified anti-smuggling efforts at the dry port and airport Multan under the directive of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to check smuggling.

The Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement) Multan is fully operational and performing the functions that includes; (i) all anti-smuggling and drug enforcement function and prevention operation including the field units that is mobile squad, check posts located within civil divisions of Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and Multan;(ii) investigation and prosecution Branch; (iii) all matters related to State warehouses, duty-free shops and diplomatic bonded warehouses in the aforementioned civil divisions;(iv) auction and destruction of goods;(v) sealing and de-sealing of cargo and monitoring of gates at dry ports.

The Collectorate of Customs enforcement, Multan deals with anti-smuggling operations in three civil divisions of Punjab Province–Multan, Sahiwal and Bahawalpur and two joint check posts (JCPs) at Kot Sabzal and DauWala have recently been established where customs staff along with the other LEAs are deployed on seven days a week basis to counter smuggling of essential commodities and smuggling prone goods.

The meeting was further told that an amount of 641 million was realised through the auction of the confiscated lots during this period.

International traffic of passengers along with clearance of import and export goods through air at Multan International Airport (MIAP) is also handled by the Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Multan.

It is fully functional and equipped with the latest and state-of-the-art technology to cater for international and domestic flights.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023