KARACHI: The Pakistan Customs has seized smuggled goods worth Rs1.2 billion and arrested 60 alleged smugglers during the first six months (July-Dec) of ongoing financial year.
Directorate of Customs Intelligence & Investigation (I&I) Karachi Director Muhammad Asif Marghoob Siddiqui said that the seized goods include 366,000 litres Iranian diesel, 10-ton hashish, 250,000 meter foreign origin fabric, 7000 bottles of liquor, smuggled cigarettes, tyres, tiles and electronic appliances, etc. He also appreciated the other law enforcement agencies including Pakistan Rangers Sindh, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and Sindh Police to help Customs carrying out anti-smuggling campaign successfully.
All the cases have been registered in the relevant courts of different cities including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Rohri etc.
The Director of Directorate of Customs I&I further said that the department had unearthed tax evasion amounting to over Rs3 billion at import stage from Karachi Port, Port Qasim and airport during the period under review. He said that the department also raised Rs249 million revenue through auctions of confiscated goods, reflecting 249 per cent growth in terms of revenue, which was about Rs62 million during the same period in 2013.
