MULTAN: Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan has shown exceptional performance in the last four months by seizing non-customs goods and vehicles of worth Rs.2.136 billion from May to August 2023. Intensified anti-smuggling campaign of Customs Intelligence and Investigation results in almost 30% boost up in seizure cases during last few months due to active anti-smuggling crackdown.
It was stated by Director Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Asif Khan Buzdar in his exclusive interview to Customs Today on other day. He said that Directorate of Customs Intelligence mounted intelligence based information against smuggling of miscellaneous goods and conducted effective enforcement operations in jurisdiction. He informed that after the introduction of few effective initiatives has enhanced performance and importance of Customs Intelligence in Society . Directorate of Customs Intelligence is optimistic of ridding national economy of the malaise of currency smuggling, miscellaneous goods and the ancillary ills of TBML, black economy, tax evasion, etc. He further said that Customs Intelligence and National Motorway Police mutual cooperation will assist in restraining movements of smugglers and their ways to curb smuggling.
Customs Intelligence Multan has ensured meticulous implementation of tax laws, administrative processes and procedures within the broader contours of guidelines laid down by FBR. Director General, Customs Intelligence Faiz Ahmad Chadhar, persistently encouraged and guided in all respective areas and proved to be the key driving force behind unprecedented performance. Director, Customs Intelligence Multan brought in to use all available resources with emphasis on Human Resource efficiently, and achieved impeccable results for the Directorate.Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan has carried out vigorous actions against smuggled goods to curb smuggling in the jurisdiction and detected almost 134 massive seizure cases of worth almost Rs. 2.1366 billion during the period of May to August in various successful actions.
Local market are responsible for compelling smuggling of goods as it creates demand and supply for the smuggled items and government departments never support smuggling at any level. Rampant smuggling of goods is said to have a large economic impact on the national economy, generating large losses in tax revenue. Smuggling reduce governments revenues, and undermine the rule of law, jeopardise the economic sustainability of private companies in the private sector and its supply chain and disadvantage the population in general through the loss of jobs and deterioration of the environment
He told Customs today that Customs Intelligence and Investigation needs support of other law enforcement agencies in order to curb smuggling in the region. We cannot eliminate any evil from the society without the local support of their people so Customs Intelligence also needs cooperation of various law enforcement agencies to get better results in their action. They unanimously agreed to increase the cooperation between the National Highways and Motorway Police with Customs Intelligence and wowed to bridge the communication gap besides taking the cooperation to enhanced level. Customs Intelligence is also working for non-customs demand reduction by conducting awareness Campaign, forging close coordination with local Trade Councils, supporting community-business and intensifying information dissemination to promote a stigma-free campaign against smuggling.
Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan have already tighten up the noose against the smugglers with the cooperation of Frontier Core and Border Military Police in order to curb smuggling .Now the cooperation with the LEA,s will also increase the capacity of customs due to enhanced cooperation in the region .Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan will eliminate the menace of smuggling from the region by taking action against any suspect with the cooperation of National Highway and Motorway Police.
He said that Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Range Office has made various seizure cases of worth billions of miscellaneous goods in his tenure of job at Directorate of Multan. The seized smuggled goods by Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Range Office in their anti-smuggling activities foreign Origin Cigarettes, HSD, skimmed milk powder, Gutka,Pan Parag, various Auto parts ,Poppy Seeds, foreign origin cloths, LTV and HTV tyres and along with other smuggled goods.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation have adopted zero tolerance policy against smugglers and smuggling goods in the jurisdiction after taking his charge with a mission to curb smuggling in the widely open jurisdiction of Dera Ghazi and Sadiqabad Region.
The importance of South Punjab Region could not be denied because it is surrounded with almost three borders of country and one of the frequently adopted smuggling routes of Baluchistan Punjab exists in the jurisdiction. He said that elimination of smuggling in the region was my first priority in the territory and Customs Intelligence Multan Range Office has initiated massive campaign against the smuggled goods and vehicles in the jurisdiction.
He expressed that Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Office have seized 134 various foreign origin vehicles and miscellaneous goods so far in the four months of May 2023 to August 2023.He said that we have focused on few major areas of the jurisdiction which were widely used for smuggling activities to curb smuggling in the region. Director Asif Buzdar has deputed competent officials in the jurisdiction on purely merit basis to carry out anti-smuggling activities in the region without any influence. These merit base transfers and postings have enhanced and strengthened the performance of Field Intelligence Unit of Customs anti-smuggling teams in their assigned tasks. We have obtained maximum results from our limited resources of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Range Office which was facing staff shortage for anti-smuggling activities in the widespread jurisdiction.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Range have made substantial number of seizures during (May to August 2023) by giving almost no space to smugglers for their smuggling. Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Range Office performance have been highly appreciated by Member Customs and other high ups due to effective strategy against smuggling. I personally participated in the anti-smuggling activities and monitored them sometimes frequently surprised visits in the various parts of the territory which made all employees of Customs intelligence more attentive during their assigned work.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Range Office have detected non-duty paid High Speed Diesel dumping stations in South Punjab and seized almost 1.75 million litres of smuggled petroleum products during action. Customs Intelligence has achieved one of the major landmarks through the establishment of Sadiqabad, Sakhi Sarwar, Taunsa Check posts in the region and few other check posts will be formed in the Jurisdiction with Public Private Partnership in regions to curb the menace of smuggling. He told that Dera Ghazi Khan region is the widely used route adopted by Smugglers in the region for their smuggling purpose have been monitored with very close eye to thwart any smuggling attempt and establishment of check posts with assist Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan.
Customs Intelligence has always been fiercely combating against NDP items and would continue working closely with the law enforcement agencies in the jurisdiction through intelligence exchanges and joint enforcement actions, with a view to further increasing the enforcement effectiveness in the anti-smuggling.