KARACHI: Pakistan Customs seized contraband goods and vehicles in multiple anti-smuggling operations in the southwestern Balochistan province, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said on Sunday.
In an intelligence-based operation (IBO), Customs officials seized 508 cartons (25,400 sticks) of assorted branded smuggled cigarettes valued at Rs200 million ($713,891), according to the FBR.
In separate operations, Quetta customs authorities seized a large number of smuggled mobile phones and 13 non-custom-paid (NCP) vehicles, with a combined assessed value of Rs117 million ($417,626).
“All seized items have been taken into official custody and further legal proceedings are being initiated under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act,” the FBR said in a statement.
It did not elaborate whether any arrests were made during the seizures.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s crackdown on smuggling of goods to support its over $400 billion economy. Smugglers have long exploited Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which shares a porous border with Iran and Afghanistan, for illicit trade of fuel, vehicles and other goods.
Earlier this month, Pakistan Customs seized narcotics, smuggled goods and vehicles worth a total of Rs1.38 billion [$4.92 million] in separate operations in Balochistan, according to the FBR.
“These operations are part of the [customs] collectorate’s intensified enforcement drive aimed at curbing smuggling and dismantling illegal trade networks,” the FBR said on Dec. 16.
The FBR on Sunday reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to curbing smuggling and illicit trade to safeguard the national economy.
