ISLAMABAD: The Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation should be equipped with technologies at par with other law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in order to expedite investigation process and weed out mafias involved in smuggling and violation of customs laws.
Customs Intelligence Deputy Director Naveedur Rehman Bugvi stated this while talking to Customs Today during an interview. He said that the department should be provided CNIC verification system, access to cell phones details and data regarding vehicles, adding that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been written letter to provide the facilities. The Customs Intelligence has limited resources to work.
Bugvi said that the department has authority to lodge a case of money laundering but some amendment were required to anti-money laundering law in order to empower the intelligence department. Special training of staff at domestic and international level was essential to curb money laundering, he highlighted.
Cooperation with motorways police and other law enforcement agencies will be strengthened in order to curb smuggling through land routes, he said. The Rawalpindi Customs Intelligence seized 32,000 kilogramme of foreign origin cloth, besides impounding four non-duty paid vehicles and three vehicles under Section 157 of Customs Act, 1969 during November 2016, he informed.
The department was facing shortage of staff, as no new recruitment was made at lower level since 1990; however, new induction of sepoys will cover the gap of lower staff, while process to recruit inspector was underway, he revealed, adding that recruited sepoys have sent to get training from Frontier Constabulary (FC). After their training, the issues being faced at operational level would be settled to some extent, he said.
Due to absence of modern technology, the department is far away from other LEAs, which have access to latest facilities, he said, adding that the Customs Intelligence did not have mechanism to get cell phones record immediately. Even banking sector has system to verify CINC online, but the department not, he said, adding that it should be given access to data of vehicles through a legal frame work.
“The Customs Intelligence is basically a supporting institution that gathers intelligence information and provides them to the FBR so that it could form its price mechanism and other polices in the light of information,” he informed, adding that the intelligence also assisted the collectortes, besides supervising the anti-smuggling.
The jurisdiction of Rawalpindi Customs Intelligence extended to Gilgit-Baltistan, Hazara, Haripur, Rawalpindi division and Jehlum, he informed, adding that there were two mobile squads. He further said that suggestions were being considered to establish new check posts in the jurisdiction. In order to curb smuggling effectively, the board should restore the demolished check posts, besides establishing new check posts, he suggested.
To keep an eye on Afghan Transit Trade, a complete directorate has been set up at the border, he said, adding that such steps helped root out the smuggling. A check post has also been established in Haripur to check consignments reach through Sost border.
The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) financial monitoring unit sent cases of money laundering to the Customs Intelligence, he said, adding that SBP asked the department for STR investigation on finding any dubious transactions and the department start independent investigations in the case.
In model Ayyan Ali’s case, the department faced enough pressure, but the officials performed their duties honestly, he said, adding that the evidence against the model were valid.
“The performance will improve many times if deputy directors are given complete authority on officers of inspector level.”
