LAHORE: Pakistan Customs Directorate of Investigation and Intelligence (I&I) Lahore Anti-Smuggling Wing has seized illegally imported goods worth Rs 329 million involving duty and taxes worth Rs 192 million during the first eight months of Financial Year 2014-15.
As per details, the Customs I&I anti-smuggling wing conducted various anti-smuggling operations on the instructions of I&I Director Imtiaz Ahmad Khan and registered 74 cases against the accused.
The anti-smuggling team registered 12 cases during July 2014-15 and impounded 10 vehicles, 310,555 yards cloth, 257 tyres & tubes, Rs 8.26 million auto parts, 725 gallons of mobil oil, 4400 cartons of cigarettes, 2225 units of electronic goods, 213 blankets, 1443 kg pan parag and zafrani patti, 120, 000 kg gutka of all brands, Rs 240 million miscellaneous items including foreign made cosmetics, plastic granule, Iranian made tiles and other such items.
The goods impounded worth Rs 76 million involving duty and taxes worth Rs 51 million during the first month of the FY 2014-15. The anti-smuggling team also seized illegal items worth Rs 93 million involving taxes worth Rs 41 million during August of current fiscal year.
The I&I Customs Lahore seized contraband item worth Rs 14 million involving duty and taxes worth Rs 14 million during the month of September while in the month of October the anti-smuggling team confiscated articles and vehicles worth Rs 61 million involving duty and taxes worth Rs 32 million.
Similarly, the Directorate of I&I Customs Lahore impounded illegal goods and articles worth Rs 11 million involving duty and taxes worth Rs 7 million in 17 cases while the directorate seized illegal imported goods worth Rs 18 million involving duty and taxes worth Rs 17 million involving duty and taxes worth Rs 17 million during the month of December FY 2014-15.
The directorate seized above Rs 38 million goods in 13 cases involving duty and taxes worth Rs 17 million during the January while another Rs 17 illegal import was seized in February FY 2014-15.
Although the anti-smuggling scouts of I&I faced retaliation from the smugglers, they remained successful against the contrabandists.
The raids were conducted by the anti-smuggling teams consisting deputy superintendents and inspectors including Asad Farooq, Arif Naveed, Maqsood Butt, Zulfiqar, Nadeenm Ahsan, Hamad Babar, Abid Javaid, Khwaja Zia, Muhammad Hussain, Asad Atta Rabani successfully at the various roads and place including Multan Road, Motorways, Ravi Road, Shera Kott, Faizpur interchange and others under the supervision of superintendents including Nasir Minhas, Chudhary Fiaz and Munawar Khan.