KARACHI: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement has showed outstanding performance during the anti-smuggling drive during the last two months of the fiscal year 2023, seizing smuggled goods worth Rs1.524 billion and registering 123 cases, which are 340pc and 99pc higher than the same period last year, respectively.
The seized goods include smuggled petroleum products, betel nut, cloth, tyres, cigarettes, electronics and other goods. The Customs Enforcement Karachi also collected Rs407.796 million in revenue from the legal import of betel nut, which was previously smuggled into the country.
According to the details, the Customs Enforcement Karachi seized goods worth Rs885.84 million in 70 cases in May 2023, compared with goods worth Rs98.56 million in 34 cases in May 2022. Similarly, goods worth Rs638.85 million were seized in 53 cases in June 2023, compared with goods worth Rs248.12 million in 28 cases in June 2022.
The Customs Enforcement Karachi also made a breakthrough in curbing the smuggling of betel nut, which is a health hazard and causes huge revenue loss to the national exchequer. Due to the strict enforcement measures taken by the Customs Enforcement Karachi led by Collector Aamir Thahim and his team comprising Additional Collector Amjad Rajper, Deputy Collector Tariq Hussain and others, the smugglers were forced to opt for legal import of betel nut.
As a result, there has been legal import of betel nut worth Rs380.512 million, generating a revenue of Rs407.796 million for the government.
