Model Customs Collectorate (MCC), Rawalpindi on Monday destroyed huge quantity of foreign liquor, banned goods/medicines, pirated CDs and other banned items. On the occasion of the International Customs Day, MCC Rawalpindi has arranged a function at the Islamabad Dry Port.
The ceremony was chaired by Muhammad Ramzan Bhatti, Member Sales Tax and Excise Tribunal Islamabad, and also attended by senior customs officials, liaison drug officials of UK and UAE and other senior customs and excise officials.
The MCC has destroyed around 7,500 bottles of imported whisky which was confiscated from the Muslim passengers at the airport. Around 5000 cans of beer and other kinds of foreign origin liquor was also destroyed on the spot. The collectorate also destroyed 500 pirated CDs and other pirated goods during the process. The audience witnessed the destruction of liquor and other contraband items at the Islamabad Dry Port.
Addressing the gathering, Nadir Khan Hoti Collector MCC Rawalpindi said that the customs administration has made every effort to improve border control for checking the illicit trade. The movement of radioactive material and pirated/contraband products has also been effectively checked by the customs at the border areas.
He also highlighted increased contribution of customs duty in overall collection; role of customs in international trade and efforts made by customs department in effective enforcement of anti-smuggling strategy.
Dr Muhammad Zubair Yousfani Additional Collector of Customs MCC, Rawalpindi briefed the audience on the performance of the colletectorate. Due to extraordinary efforts of the MCC Rawalpindi, the collectorate has confiscated huge quantity of contraband and smuggled goods involving duties and taxes of over Rs 200 million during current fiscal.
Dr Zubair also elaborated the performance of customs officials during anti-smuggling operations and efforts of the department to check this illicit trade. Chief Guest Ramzan Bhatti explained the overall significance of the international customs day.
He said that the MCC Rawalpindi has seized record contraband and smuggled goods which reflects excellent performance of the customs officials in the field formations. Talking to Business Recorder, former member customs and chief guest Bhatti said that the new reward rules should cover both the aspects of rewards and punishment. If a tax official has been indulged in assisting any tax fraud or evasion, the revised reward rules must elaborate punishment for such officials. The new reward rules should specify strict punishment to tax officials, who deliberately help the unscrupulous elements in tax evasion, he added.
Later, Musarrat Jabeen, a senior customs official; Mian Nazir Azhar Advocate, Major General Muhammad Yasin (Retd) former FBR member Administration; Naeer Ahmed, a senior customs official and Nadir Khan Hoti Collector MCC Rawalpindi distributed certificates among the customs staff, who showed best performance in their duties and anti-smuggling operations at airport and dry port.