ISLAMABAD: The MCC Islamabad has requested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for ‘reward fund’ for the anti-smuggling officials so that they can pay more attention towards anti-smuggling activity. The chairman FBR promised the MCC Islamabad in his address via video address last month that the Board will provide reward fund for Anti-Smuggling Organization as soon as possible. The customs collectorate Islamabad leads in almost all the anti-smuggling activities i.e. impounding of Non-Duty Paid (NDP) vehicles, offending vehicles, seizing of smuggled goods and narcotics by making the biggest amount of seizures of smuggled goods during the fiscal year 2016-17.
This was stated by Collector Dr. Arslan Subagtageen while talking to Customs Today during an exclusive interview on Model Customs Collectorate Islamabad’s performance regarding the anti-smuggling activity during current financial year (July to February) 2016-17.
During above said period, the Preventive Section of MCC Islamabad intercepted eight consignments of narcotics at the International Mail Office (IMO). The total quantity of narcotics seized at said station was around 2320 kilogram worth Rs26.2million during initial eight months of current financial year 2016-17.
Telling details about the narcotics cases intercepted during the first eight months of current financial year at IMO Islamabad, he stated that most of narcotics registries and parcels were booked for UK, USA, Canada and China. The parcels’ dispatchers belonged to KPK, AJK, Gujar Khan, Islamabad and Haripur. The smugglers concealed consignments of heroin tactfully in the stitching lining of children’s jackets, concealed drugs in the cavities made in the hard binding of books, play cards, embroideries of suits, power banks and tactfully concealed heroin powder inside cavities of books. The customs staff of the Anti-Smuggling Organization Islamabad deputed at IMO seized those very complicated cases with their expertise and experience which is laudable.
Answering a query regarding the detection of restricted and prohibited goods from passengers’ baggage by the ASO at Benazir Bhuto International Airport Islamabad, he replied that during eight months of current financial year 2016-17, the ASO staff at the BBI airport showed some outstanding performance. During said period, the BBI ASO staff seized Rs15.07million’s foreign currency whereas ASO staff seized 21.32 kilogram of heroin powder worth Rs220.50million whereas the ASO staff seized 2476 mobile phones undervalued Rs36.09million. During said period, BBI ASO staff also seized 1161.41 grams of gold worth Rs4.86million and seized 8.872 grams of silver jewellery undervalued Rs1.2million. In this way, the ASO collected 237% increase over previous year revenue for the corresponding year.
Collector Dr. Arslan, explaining the comparative performance of the Preventive Division, said the ASO made about 215 seizures during July to February 2015-16 whereas it made 254 seizures during same period of FY2016-17 while ASO seized goods valued Rs94.617million during July to February FY2015-16 whereas it seized goods valued Rs176.721million during same period of FY2016-17.
During above said period of FY2015-16, the ASO impounded six NDP vehicles worth Rs13.014million whereas during same period of FY2016-17 the ASO impounded 66 NDP vehicles valued Rs115.375million. During current financial year July to February FY16-17, the ASO seized various kinds of smuggled goods undervalued Rs407.096million whereas during same period of corresponding financial year 2015-16 the ASO seized smuggled goods priced Rs180.43million.
