LAHORE: Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Lahore has seized over 174 additional non-customs paid luxury cars of assorted types during the financial year 2015-16.
Director Customs Intelligence and Investigations Saud Imran told Customs Today that he has instructed his subordinates to come hard on the illegal business of vehicles, adopting zero tolerance against the smuggling activities.
He said his directorate seized over 212 cars during the current financial year while the directorate impounded just 83 cars during the previous financial year of 2014-15. The collectorate impounded the cars, jeeps, Pajeros and other vehicles from Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan.
The collectorate seized 150 vehicles from Faisalabad and Multan while 62 vehicles were impounded from Lahore and Gujranwala.
The value of the seized vehicle were over Rs400 million while the directorate impounded vehicle of assorted types worth Rs127 million during the financial year 2014-2015. While the directorate confiscated additional vehicles worth Rs272 million during the current financial year against the same period of last financial year.
The vehicles were seized from various locations in the four cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala.
The major vehicles which were seized included Toyota Corals, Honda Citi, Land Cruisers, Mark-X, BMWs, Mercedes Benz cars, Toyota Surfs, Toyota Premio, Toyota Progress and other.
The cars which were seized by the directorate are of different models from 1999 to 2015, the data disclosed. The vehicles were seized by the directorate’s car cells following the owners who failed to produce legal documents against the cars and other luxury vehicles, official sources told Customs Today.
The vehicles were auctioned in open auction held at the directorates auction units at the Lahore and sub offices in other cities. The realized amounts from the auction of the cars were contributed to the total revenue collection of the directorate.
The crackdowns were undertaken by the car cells of the directorates in its respective offices in the four cities. The operations against the illegally imported cars were initiated on the directions of Director Saud Imran.
