ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday registered an FIR against five Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officers and several officials of a private company in the theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from FBR warehouses in Swabi and Mardan, involving an estimated loss of Rs250 million.
The case was registered by the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle on the complaint of FIA Assistant Director Muhammad Safir Ahmed.
According to the FIR, five FBR officials and three owners of a private company have been nominated as accused. The FBR officials named in the case include Inspectors Kamran and Naveed, a driver, a security guard and a naib qasid. Two directors and a manager of the private company have also been named.
The FIA has launched raids to arrest the nominated suspects, according to officials.
2,828 cigarette cartons missing
According to the FIR, 1,262 cartons of cigarettes were seized in Swabi in February 2024 and subsequently stored at an FBR warehouse in Mardan.
The FIR stated that FBR Inspectors Kamran and Naveed later transferred 1,202 cartons from Mardan to Swabi. When the trucks reached the Swabi warehouse, 908 cartons were found missing.
The FIR further alleged that after around three months, officials claimed to have recovered 907 cartons. However, an inspection conducted a year later found that a total of 2,828 cartons, including the previously recovered 907 cartons, were missing.
The FIR stated that FBR inspectors and other staff were directly involved in the theft and, in connivance with private company officials, caused a loss of around Rs250 million to the national exchequer.
It also alleged that logbooks were deliberately not maintained at the warehouses and CCTV cameras were not installed.
Senate panel had investigated theft
Earlier in April, a meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control was held at Parliament House in Islamabad under the convenorship of Senator Saifullah Abro to investigate the disappearance of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from FBR warehouses in Swabi and Mardan and determine responsibility.
Senate Committee proceeds over cigarettes consignment seized by Customs
The FIA informed the committee that 1,262 of the missing cartons belonged to the Kissan Tobacco brand of Paramount Tobacco Company, while efforts were underway to determine the ownership of the remaining cartons.
The sub-committee also referred to earlier inquiries conducted against the Member (Tobacco) during his posting in Lahore and urged the FIA to include all relevant FBR officers and officials in the investigation.
It further recommended scrutiny of the assets of the officers concerned.
