PESHAWAR: Director Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Arslan Subuktageen said that the government may consider taking away anti-smuggling powers from the Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigations. He said that FBR should create a country-wide Enforcement Wing of Customs under a new Member Enforcement (Customs) FBR, which should work purely on anti-smuggling areas including borders and coastal line.
Director Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) while giving an exclusive interview to Customs Today, to decrease smuggling trends, FBR may reduce duties and taxes slabs (tariff reduction to control smuggling) specially on those items which are also imported for transit to Afghanistan i.e. fabric silk etc. Because of complicated border with our Western neighbor most of these goods are being smuggled back to Pakistan.
Answering another query, he said that the transit trade agreement with Afghanistan needs to be closely examined with a view to have broader negative list which may include items like black tea, tyres, ACs, electronics and all major smuggling prone items. This initiative would eliminate the traditional smuggling of transit items from Afghanistan.
Dr Arslan notified that the Directorate General of Intelligence & Investigation should be limited to investigations, gathering information and transforming it to useful intelligence by the Collectorates and the Enforcement Wing which may also continue to work on mega scams, money laundering and all departmental inquiries, etc.
Replying a question regarding stoppage of smuggling of NDP vehicles, he said that for controlling vehicles’ smuggling, multiple special anti-smuggling car cells in all the Customs Collectorates should be established and beefed up with more induction of young human capital.
He said that to decrease the smuggling percentage, the government should develop close liaison among senior officers like Customs Management chiefs, chief collectors, collectors, DGs and directors. And cooperation should also be enhanced with all other law enforcing agencies like ANF, coast guards, Rangers, MSA, police, NAB, FIA, Motorway Police and Provincial Police for an effective anti-smuggling campaign.
