ISLAMABAD: Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) Headquarters Deputy Director Syed Ali Akbar Zaidi has said that Customs I&I is using all available resources to curb smuggling activities.
Talking with Customs Today during an exclusive interview, he said that under supervision of Director-General Zahid Khokhar, the Directorate showed enormous performance and launched heavy crackdown against the smugglers, tax evaders and notorious elements involved in smuggling of narcotics.
He said that during first half of financial year (July to December 2019-20), the Directorate posted 82 percent growth by generating revenue through auctions and during the month of December 2019, I&I Rawalpindi impounded 280 vehicles including Qatari vehicles worth of Rs7045 million.
He informed that from July to December, the Directorate General of I&I registered 1146 numbers of cases of anti-smuggling worth Rs6255.67 million whereas during same period last year the I&I registered 897 of cases worth Rs3435.06 million. All the regional offices comprising Directorate of I&I Lahore, Multan, Quetta, Peshawar, Karachi, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Gwadar showed better performance during first half of current financial year.
Sharing details of revenue collection through public auction of seized goods, NDP vehicles and offending vehicles, he said that the Directorate General of I&I showed 63% hike in six months as compared to same corresponding period, adding that during July to December 2019-20, the Customs I&I earned Rs 1023.55 million of revenue through auctions while it earned Rs 627.98 million through auction during same corresponding period last year.
He said that here at Directorate General of I&I he worked in all fields relating with Customs Intelligence in coordination with national and international agencies like Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO) and World Customs Organization (WCO), adding that he also worked in field formation of Anti-smuggling.
The Deputy Director told that he belonged to 37 common group of Customs. He had a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UET (University of Engineering and Technology) Lahore and passed his MBA (Masters in Business Administration) from Lahore School of Economics and obtained Master degree in Public Relations from UK Sheffield Institute. After CSS (Central Superior Services) his first posting was at the Customs Wagha border Lahore in Appraisement and Valuation department while after that he was transferred to DOT (Directorate of Training).
