KARACHI: A high-level meeting of top Pakistan Customs officials was recently held under the chair of Customs Intelligence Director General Lutfullah Virk, which deliberated upon uprooting the menace of smuggling from the country.
Sources told Customs Today that the Customs Intelligence DG stressed the need for working as a single unit for action against smugglers to have more and more seizures.
He further elaborated that due to the situation of law and order, if the department was finding it difficult to take action in its own jurisdiction – for example, in Balochistan region – then the Customs Intelligence teams should inform their bordering counterparts regarding the movement of culprits so that action could be taken at a safe place. This would not only help get rid of smuggling but would also bring good name to the department for their unity in fulfilling the purpose.
Customs Intelligence DG Lutfullah Virk urged the officers of the regional directorate to further enhance their performance, because being members of the focal directorate they had more responsibilities on their shoulders as compare to other directorates.
It may be mentioned here that the FBR through a notification issued a couple of years back in 2013 has nominated Customs Intelligence DG as a focal person for reviewing the performance of anti-smuggling activities of both formation and intelligence sides.
The meeting agreed to initiate collaborated efforts for uprooting the menace of smuggling from the country.
It was also decided that joint raids by the customs formation and Intelligence would be conducted against the smuggling cartels, while sharing of intelligence information with other federal organisations would also be done in this regard.
