LAHORE: The Directorate of Customs Investigation and Intelligence has seized non-customs paid vehicles and contraband goods during the seven months of financial year 2015-16. The estimated value of the seized items is Rs 723 million involving Rs 507 million duty and taxes.
According to official details, following the directions of Director Saud Imran Ahmad Ahmad, a special team, under the supervision of additional director Rizwan Slabat and Deputy Director Saad Atta Rabani, conducted anti- smuggling operations in the city and its surrounding areas and registered 70 cases.
During the crackdowns, a team of inspectors compring Superintendent Rauf Farooqi, Zulfiqar Dogar, Sohail Murtza and others seized non-customs paid vehicles and seized 23 vehicles, including BMWs, Mercedes, Mark-X, Land cruisers and V8, Premio. The value of the seized vehicles has been determined at Rs 40 million.
The customs authorities also seized contraband goods including 64512 yards of illegally imported cloth, 490 cartons of tea, 2767 tyres and tubes, auto parts, 120 litres mobil oil, 125 drums of grease, 2317 dandas of cigarettes and other miscellaneous goods and articles.
Sources told Customs Today that on the strict directives of Director General Imtiaz Ahmad the directorate has intensified crackdowns on the smuggling activities.
Source further said that Director Saud has instructed the special anti-smuggling team to adopt zero tolerance policy against the smugglers to overcome the evil of smuggling which is inflicting heavy losses to the national exchequer.
