MULTAN: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Multan has shown tremendous performance under the umbrella of Federal Board of Revenue during the first six months of the ongoing economic year 2022-23. Multan Customs Enforcement is playing a major role in the national economy by protecting local industry through prevention of smuggling.
Addressing a press conference on the closure of second quarter of current fiscal year, Collector Muhammad Tahir Ali said that Customs Enforcement is pivotal with respect to the across-the-border movement of goods as the Collectorate is situated in the amalgam of three provinces, i.e., on side touching Baluchistan through Rakhni-Bawata Inter-Provincial Border and, on the other hand, linking with Sindh through Obaro-Sadiqabad Point. Whereas, it is adjacently placed alongside the Punjab which is the major consumer of raw materials and finished-goods/articles, in terms of industrial development and population, respectively.
We are working for eradicating smuggling in jurisdiction, the Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement-Multan), in an intensified counter-smuggling drive, has, with the assistance of law-enforcement agencies (LEAs), i.e. Police, Rangers, Border Military Police (BMP), and intelligence agencies, made major seizures of smuggled goods, viz. fabric, cigarettes, betel-nut, non-Customs-paid vehicles, High-speed Diesel (HSD), tyres, etc. besides narcotics, during the Calendar Year, 2022-23. The value of the seized goods is, approximately Rs.2023.46 million as detailed below.
The Collectorate, under the supervision of Collector Muhammad Tahir has recorded unprecedented performance by recently seizing smuggled goods including fabric and Cigarettes from a godown belonging to smuggling racket. The ASO units of the Collectorate, with the assistance of the officials of the Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation (I&I – Customs), Multan raided a godown near Bahawalpur By-Pass Road, Multan and recovered foreign-origin smuggled fabric and cigarettes worth market valuing approximately Rs330.13 million.
Anticipating the influx of smuggled goods as a result of US and NATO fall-out from Afghanistan, the Transit Trade has seen a shift with the Transit goods having been come largely under the ambit of smuggling especially certain items including, inter alia, betel-nut, tyres, etc. invading the domestic markets of Pakistan. Resultantly, the Collectorate has recently intercepted a 107 NDP vehicles of almost Rs413 million. A case has been registered and further investigations are underway.
It is pertinent to mention here that there is a growing need for enhanced vigilance due to newly established roads network at Motorways and National Highways and the incessant rise in smuggling due to higher tariffs. In terms of the anticipated tasks, viz., DNFBPs; measures to be adopted for counter-smuggling of gold and currency; checking of retail outlets for dealing in smuggled goods; continuation of POL operation etc., and to eradicate the menace of smuggling by identifying hotspots in the area through joint-patrolling with other agencies on the newly established routes and diversions on Motorways and National Highways, the Collectorate has made a need based analysis and has come up with the concrete proposals for direct recruitment of officials and staff and the same has been shared with the Board. With a view to adopt effective counter-smuggling measures, the Collectorate is establishing new Customs offices, in Bahawalpur, D.G. Khan and Multan Divisions, which hitherto did not exist; other such areas and smuggling-hotspots are also being identified. Besides, the emphasis is being laid on the merge needed inter-agency cooperation, i.e., the Police, Rangers, Motorways and National Highway Authorities and Border Military Police (BMP), etc.
As of the performance of the Collectorate in terms of achievement of revenue-collection targets, from July-December, 2022-23, it is highlighted that the Collectorate has surpassed the targets by collecting Rs.347.77 million as against the assigned target of Rs.272 million. In addition, seized confiscated goods worth Rs.343.7 million were disposed of through auction recording 119% growth as against corresponding period. Furthermore, the anti-smuggling performance remained 45 % higher when compared with the last two quarters of the previous fiscal year. The policy of zero-tolerance against smuggling of goods will continue unabated.
