The Directo-rate-General Intelligence and Investigation Inland Revenue (IR) has raided an unregistered cigarette manufacturing unit involved in making counterfeit products at Sargodha and seized machines and equipment, including packing machines. Sources told Business Recorder here on Friday that the agency launched a national drive against unregistered cigarette making units across the country.
The agency has so far conducted operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. The directorate's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa team has been actively engaged in taking action against such units. The unit seized by the agency was involved in manufacturing local cigarette brands. The agency has yet to determine whether the unit was manufacturing counterfeit cigarettes on the directions of some local unit or working independently. The agency has intensified its efforts to take action against counterfeit cigarettes and units involving in evasion of sales tax and the FED. The agency has expanded its intelligence network and conducing raids on such un-registered units on regular basis.
According to details, a dedicated team of the agency started 24 hours surveillance duty from the third day of Eid on Mardan-Swabi Road and seized a vehicle carrying semi-manufactured cigarette materials. The condition of materials was apprehended to be processed on cigarette making machines somewhere running unregistered. The truck was therefore, released after payment of the FED and penalty involved in the cut tobacco and was tracked to its destination. It was confirmed that near a tobacco company an un-registered cigarette manufacturing unit was operating at Mohallah Nawazabad, Mid Ranjah, Tehsil Kot Momin, District Sargodah.
Sources said that a team of the directorate was constituted for raid on the un-registered cigarette manufacturing unit with the co-ordination and support of the (I&I), Faisalabad team and RTO, Sargodah Team. The team during visit seized a vehicle carrying 110 Packrites of Prime brand cigarettes manufactured from semi manufactured material seized and released by this office, at a distance from unregistered factory and raided the unregistered cigarette manufacturer where two cigarette making machines and two cigarette packing machines were found operational. The remaining semi-manufactured material that was seized and released by this office was also found in the premises.
The team sealed/seized these machines along with the materials and the RTO, Sargodha has posted its staff at the manufacturing unit till further orders. The available watchman confirmed that the said factory is run by residents of Mardan. Sources said that the FED and sales tax involved in goods seized in the vehicle was Rs 969,705.