FAISALABAD: Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Director Muhammad Akram Chaudhry has advised the customs intelligence staff to save the national economy from the menace of smuggling by keeping themselves away from any kind of corruption.
This was stated by Faisalabad Customs Intelligence Range Office Director Muhammad Akram Chaudhry while giving an interview to Customs Today.
He also affirmed his intention to deal with the officials strictly if they are found involved in corruption, which is brining colossal losses to the national economy. He said that a zero tolerance policy has been adopted to curb the smuggling and against the transportation of illegal goods and vehicles in and around the jurisdiction. M. Akram Ch. said the main emphasis of the directorate is on conducting organized anti -smuggling operations against the large-scale smuggling.
He informed the correspondent that the Anti-Smuggling Organization of the Directorate has been directed to go for the big fish and seize the godowns of the illegally imported goods instead of setting up of pickets on the roads and disturb the genuine importers.
The director hailed the performance of intelligence staff for weeding out the smuggling. He added that the performance of the officials is improving due to which trend of smuggling is also decreasing day by day. The intelligence staff has also been directed to keep a vigilant eye on the smugglers who are damaging the economy for their vested interests. He expressed satisfaction over the performance of the officials.
Muhammad Akram Ch. informed CT that the Customs Intelligence carried out various successful raids on Field Investigation areas of Sargodha, Khushab, Sara-e-Muhajir, DIG Khan and Faisalabad and impounded a huge quantity of smuggling and smuggled items and vehicles.
During July to December 2017, the intelligence staff seized contraband items worth Rs209million involving duties and taxes of Rs100million, he added. The officials impounded ten offending vehicles and other miscellaneous items while registering 51 numbers of cases under Section 157 of the Customs Act-1969 during said period.
He said now it is impossible for a smuggler to hide as we are adopting a comprehensive strategy to frustrate the smuggling of vehicles and other items. He said the sale of smuggled items in the market is not in favour of the country but they cause the national economy big losses.
The customs intelligence department has tightened the noose around the neck of the smugglers in the Faisalabad region. He further said all the customs officials are determined to curb smuggling in the region. The staff was trying its level best to remove all the smuggled items from shops, markets and plazas while making all the shopkeepers bound to keep only those goods which are imported lawfully in the country.
As a result of such measures, the overall effectiveness of the Directorate Intelligence and Anti-Smuggling operations will be far productive, he concluded.
