ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Inland Revenue Enforcement Network (IREN) Squad has confiscated over two million cigarette sticks of various brands in Jhelum as well as Peshawar.
According to officials, the IREN squad of Regional Tax Office, Rawalpindi, in a major counter-evasion operation, has seized one truck bearing registration number 6746 which was illegally transporting non-tax paid counterfeit cigarettes of various brands, including the Gold Cup brand, for supply into the local market.
The trucks were loaded with 110 cartons of cigarettes having 1.1 million sticks, with a market value of Rs3.4million accounting for unpaid duties and taxes at Rs2.3 million.
The IREN squad conducted the operation on May 20, 2021, at Dina Bypass, Jhelum. It was reported by FBR’s Rawalpindi regional tax office that these counterfeit cigarette brands were manufactured in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and then transported across into Pakistani markets without payment of duties and taxes.
IREN squad of the RTO Peshawar also conducted a successful operation on the same day in Peshawar and confiscated 95 packarites of non-tax paid counterfeit cigarettes of various brands having 950,000 sticks. The market value of the seized cigarettes comes to Rs3.001 million involving unpaid duties and taxes at Rs2.003 million.
Member Inland Revenue Operations Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed appreciated chief commissioners of Rawalpindi and Peshawar RTOs for their efforts and enforcement drive to curb the movement of illicit cigarettes on the roads. The members of the raiding squads were also encouraged by the member IR to continue working with full commitment and integrity
