Non-duty paid, counterfeit/smuggled cigarettes: two FBR officers injured during crackdown

February 12, 2013

RECORDER REPORT

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Two officers of the directorate of intelligence and investigation, Inland Revenue (IR) Karachi were injured seriously during a crackdown on manufactures of non-duty paid counterfeit/smuggled cigarettes in Karachi involving huge amount of evaded sales tax and federal excise duty on Monday.

On the directives of Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Ali Arshad Hakim, DG intelligence and investigation IR has launched a massive drive against non-duty paid smuggled cigarettes and non-duty paid/counterfeit beverages. The new Director General Intelligence and Investigation (Inland Revenue) Shaista Abbas has promptly taken action on the directives of tax authorities and constituted special teams to conduct raids and intercept counterfeit and non-duty paid smuggled cigarettes as well as beverages. The first major action has been taken in Karachi on Monday.

During Monday's operation, DG intelligence and investigation IR intercepted a truck loaded with smuggled (non-duty paid) Pine cigarettes. When the agency's officers tried to stop the truck, the smugglers started firing on the officers. As a result, two officers were seriously injured and were shifted to a local hospital in critical condition. The directorate arrested three smugglers, who were taken to Saeed Abad police station.

This is first major operation against smugglers of non-duty paid counterfeit/smuggled cigarettes in Karachi. FBR Chairman Ali Arshad Hakim has strictly directed the intelligence arm of FBR to take such enforcement actions across the country against the manufactures of non-duty paid counterfeit/smuggled cigarettes.