MULTAN: Multan Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization has seized worth Rs139.72 million of non-customs paid vehicles and articles during their various operations in April.
Sources told Customs Today that Customs Collectorate has fully accelerated anti-smuggling operations in the jurisdiction on the special directives of Federal Board of Revenue to prevent smuggling of non-paid vehicles and miscellaneous goods.
In the fight against smuggling activities, the department has striven hard to maintain a proper balance between control and trade facilitation to ensure speedy flow of legitimate consignments at the entry and exit points.
Multan Customs carried out various anti-smuggling operations on the directions of Collector Ambreen Ahmad Tarar and Deputy Collector Saqib-ur-Rehman Warraich. Anti-Smuggling Organization has detected 29 cases during their vigorous crackdown in the month of April 2017-18. Multan Customs impounded 20 vehicles of non-customs paid and tampered of worth Rs48.8 million during the corresponding period.
The seized vehicles include Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Premio, Toyota vitz, Honda Civic, Toyota Hilux Surf and others. Anti-Smuggling Organization has captured Afghan Transit Trade shipments, sulphonic acid and other goods in their active operations.
On the other hand, Multan Customs was able to detect only nine seizures cases of goods and vehicles worth Rs14.15 million during the corresponding period of April 2016-17. Multan Customs has shown exceptional performance in the month of April due to active participation of field staff.
Customs Investigation and Prosecution (I&P) lodges FIR on eight offenders in the charge of smuggling under customs act during April. Anti-Smuggling Organization is on toe 24/7 and all the points of entry and exit in the jurisdiction are being choked to prevent smuggling.
Sources told that Multan Customs continued to make achievements in anti-smuggling work without compromising the objectives of trade facilitation. Anti-Smuggling Organization has bolstered up intelligence exchange and co-operation with law-enforcement agencies to curb smuggling in the jurisdiction.
