ISLAMABAD: Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) of Model Customs Collectorate Islamabad (MCCI) is showing brilliant performance against previous months by making seizures against tax evaders and smugglers. ASO Car Cell is working efficiently by impounding the Non-Duty-Paid (NDP) vehicles on daily basis from different places under the jurisdiction of MCC Islamabad. Amended Section 07 of the Customs Act FY2017-18 will be helpful to curb the smuggling activities. In place of senior squad, new blood (Young squad) is being added to the ASO.
This was stated by Ansir Anis, Deputy Collector ASO Islamabad, while giving an exclusive interview to Customs Today.
She said the ASO Islamabad has adopted a revised strategy to check the smuggling activities in the region. She stressed that the amended Section 07 of the Customs Act FY2017-18 will be helpful to prevent smuggling. She told CT while summarizing the amended law “the Customs Act Section 07 specially mentions the names of National Highway Police and Motorway Police to cooperate with the customs officials during anti-smuggling activities. Now this order gets a documented position which can bind them to support under the customs law”.
She explained the Section 07 and said this new addition to Section 07 will be helpful for the ASO to check smuggling as smugglers and tax evaders follow the National Highways and Motorways.
She suggested that if both departments make good allusion with the ASO then we can tighten the noose around the necks of the smugglers. She predicted that the ASO will be able to earn more revenue during the last month of June of Financial Year FY2016-17. She maintained that the headquarters held three auctions during the last month (May 2016-17) and other two will be held during June 2016-17. She further said the said auctions of confiscated goods showed that performance of the ASO is growing in term of revenue collection and is checking smuggling activities.
During the month of May FY16-17, the ASO collected Rs26.963million revenue whereas the ASO impounded four NDP vehicles worth Rs5.3million and 11 offending vehicles valued Rs9.9million. She said by giving detail that the ASO Islamabad impounded various smuggled goods, offending vehicles and Non-Duty-Paid (NDP) vehicles worth Rs308.353million during 10 months (July to April) of Financial Year 2016-17.
Deputy Collector Preventive further told CT that the ASO impounded 124 offending vehicles valued Rs128.45million whereas it did 82 NDP vehicles worth Rs146.55million during above said period. She also said the ASO seized 79,947 yards of foreign origin fabrics priced Rs51.82million.
During July to 20th of April, the ASO Islamabad seized 125,530 Kg of food grain worth Rs18.026million, tea 8,931 kg valued Rs2.784million, 1,073 tyres and tubes worth Rs3.266million, 15,115 kilogram of auto parts priced Rs4.200million.
During above said period, the ASO seized 13,238 cartons of fake foreign origin cigarettes worth Rs8.467million whereas it did 7,385 numbers of smuggled electronic goods valued Rs47.951million. The ASO confiscated 25 carpets worth Rs0.043million. It also impounded miscellaneous medicines valued Rs516970, pirated CDs worth Rs2.1300million, 915 numbers of crockery priced Rs0.084million and it seized 307 smuggled blankets valued Rs0.284million whereas the ASO confiscated miscellaneous smuggled goods worth Rs22.060million during 10 months of current Financial Year 2016-17.
