ISLAMABAD: Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Additional Director Shahid Jan has said that Rawalpindi directorate showed tremendous performance during eleven month of the current fiscal year 2017-18.
“We have seized smuggled goods and non-duty paid vehicles having total value of Rs554.67 million while last year during the same period the directorate could seize smuggled goods worth Rs491.61 million,” he said during an exclusive interview with Customs Today.
“We have recommended to Federal Board of Revenue that WeBOC system should be started on Sust border,” Shahid Jan said, adding that the volume of smuggling is unexplainable but the directorate is doing maximum efforts to bring it down.
On the direction of DG, the Rawalpindi Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation has speed up the field operations against smugglers, he added.
He said: “District Rawalpindi is very important point and smugglers frequently use Motorway for smuggling of their non-duty paid items, although our field staff is vigilant but the issue is much bigger then our capacity.”
Shahid Jan also disclosed that the directorate is making a plan and preparing a new strategy to curb this menace but the policy will remain same. Under new strategy, the Rawalpindi Directorate with the help of motorway police and security agencies will take specific actions. “In this regard we have prepared a list of top smugglers and their front men.”
He shared a comparison of financial year 2016-17 and 2017-18 and said in July 2016, the directorate seized goods worth Rs11.82 million while in current financial year, smuggled goods worth of Rs.7.83 million have been seized. In August 2016, Rs6.79 million worth of goods were seized, while goods valuing at Rs.34.49 million have been seized during the same period in current fiscal year.
He said: “Our top priority is to control the smuggling and discourage the illegal trade, but alone the organization cannot control on it, we need cooperation and help of patriotic Pakistanis.” He said many reputable organizations and institute are involved in smuggling and mis-declaration cases.
He said there is zero-tolerance policy against corruption, fortunately Rawalpindi directorate field staff is showing good performance and playing key role to stop the illegal trade. He said in the result of the actions against smugglers, the ratio of smuggling has fell down as compared to last few years. The all credit goes to Director General Shoukat Ali and Director Abdul Waheed Marwat, he added.
He said: “One of our main objective is to collect the revenue through auctions of seized goods and vehicles and we are depositing millions of rupees in national exchequer.”
