LAHORE: The Anti-Smuggling Organization of the Collectorate of Customs has registered cases worth Rs 53.21 million against illegal importers from April to May during the outgoing financial year, it was informed.
According to official sources, the Custom Collectorate, under the supervision Assistant Collector Dr Muhammad Adnan Khan, seized smuggled/ non-duty paid vehicles and goods during the month of May, 2016 valuing Rs 28.70 million. The cases worth Rs 24.51 million were made during the month of May 2015.
On the other hand, the ASO team registered cases worth Rs 335.32 million during the period from July 2015 to May 2016 whereas cases valuing Rs 292.28 million were made during the corresponding period of the last year, registering an increase of Rs 43.04 million .
Sources told Customs Today that the Collector Zulfiqar Younas has instructed the ASO to come hard on the elements involved in the illegal trade and had undertaken a number of measures to create deterrence.
It was also informed that in order to make the ASO more effective and efficient the collectorate and Customs Intelligence and Investigation have adopted joint operation strategy to give tough time to the smugglers. Earlier, Assistant Collector Customs Dr Adnan Khan told Customs Today that the collectorate was also contriving to set a central control room at Customs House. He added that following setting up of the control system the ASO performance will further improve.
Additional Collector Customs Amir Rasheed has also expressed his resolve to bring the smuggling activities under the limits of the collectorate to the minimum.
Moreover, Collector Zulfiqar Younas told this scribe that Customs Preventives has focused on large scale smuggling operatives to create deterrence under the jurisdiction of the collectorate.
