ISLAMABAD: The ASO Islamabad generated an additional revenue of above Rs20million during the month of February FY17-18 against the same corresponding FY16-17 by taking into possession smuggling goods and vehicles.
According to details given by Zulfikar Ali Chaudhry, Collector Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Islamabad, while talking with Customs Today exclusively, that, during the month of February FY17-18, the Anti-Smuggling Organization showed good performance.
He said that, during February FY17-18, the ASO made big seizures of perishable smuggling goods which were smuggled via Kashmir. The MCC Islamabad has ordered its staff to launch a strict crackdown on the illicit Kashmir trade. He said that he has informed the ASO Islamabad to take every possible action to curb the smuggling activities via Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) because this smuggling causes the genuine traders and government discouragement and losses who pay proper duties and taxes to the exchequer of the country.
To draw a comparison between February FY17-18 and the same corresponding February FY16-17, the collector said that, during February FY17-18, the ASO Islamabad registered 40 seizures of contraband goods valued at Rs18.84million whereas the ASO Islamabad made 39 confiscations of various smuggling goods worth Rs17.19million during the same prwevious February FY16-17.
Chaudhry told CT that the ASO Islamabad intercepted 10 Non-Duty-Paid (NDP) or tampered vehicles priced at Rs13.1million during February FY17-18 while the ASO Islamabad took into possession eight NDP vehicles worth Rs21.94million during the same corresponding FY16-17.
The Collector MCC Islamabad told Customs Today that, during the month of February FY17-18, the ASO Islamabad impounded 23 offending vehicles (vehicles used for carrying smuggling goods) valued at Rs18.9million while the ASO Islamabad did 12 offending vehicles priced at Rs9.8million during the same previous FY16-17.
Zulfikar Ali said the ASO Islamabad impounded contraband goods and vehicles valued at Rs50.84million during the month of February FY17-18 while the ASO Islamabad did smuggling goods and vehicles priced at Rs29.93million during the month of February FY16-17.
He said he himself is monitoring the ASO performance on daily basis to enhance the performance of the ASO so more and more seizures could be registered against the notorious soon.
