Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation Customs has checked misuse of the Afghan Transit Trade facility and intercepted consignments of cloth and consumer items, including air fresheners, toothbrush, hand blenders and other goods preventing huge revenue loss.
Sources told Business Recorder, here on Wednesday that the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation Customs seized huge quantity of foreign origin smuggled cloth and foreign origin smuggled miscellaneous consumer items by conducting different anti-smuggling operations. The timely interception of these consignments by the agency has been instrumental in checking smuggling of different goods. The directorate has prevented huge revenue loss by checking misuse of the Afghan Transit Trade facility. The agency has intensified its efforts to control misuse of the Afghan Transit Trade by timely conducting anti-smuggling operations.
Details revealed that the misuse of Afghan Transit Trade is a menace affecting manufacturing sector in Pakistan. Cloth is one of the major items that brought/smuggled into Pakistan by misusing Transit Trade Facility. The Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation-FBR was receiving information that cloth bound for Afghanistan is being smuggled into Pakistan in small consignments. Promptly acting on a specific information, the staff of Intelligence & Investigation, Lahore seized substantial quantity of foreign origin smuggled cloth being transported from Peshawar to Lahore by intercepting a bus. The cloth rolls bear stickers "Transit to Afghanistan".
The Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation-FBR, Lahore had received complaints that consumer items/goods were being smuggled into Pakistan in large quantities. The mode was either misuse of Afghan Transit Trade or mis-declaring consumer goods as scrap or other items. After gathering information, the staff of Range Office Gujranwala intercepted a 40 ft container which was stuffed with foreign origin smuggled miscellaneous consumer items including air fresheners, toothbrush, hand blenders, sheeshah hookah etc. The approx value of the smuggled goods is Rs 7.5 million involving duty and taxes amounting to nearly Rs 3 million, sources added.