Theft of cigarettes from FBR warehouses: Senate panel seeks explanation from relevant depts

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Friday sought explanation from relevant departments over the theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes worth Rs250 million from warehouses of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), directing authorities to fix responsibility and ensure recovery of the stolen goods.

The sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control met under the convenership of Senator Saifullah Abro and reviewed the alleged theft of cigarette cartons from FBR godowns in Swabi and Mardan.

The committee expressed concern over the absence of the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), stressing that the presence of senior officials was essential during committee proceedings.

Officials from the FBR informed the panel that the incident was initially reported as a theft, and a first information report (FIR) was registered with Swabi police. However, police later treated the matter as a case of misappropriation and referred it to the FIA for further investigation.

The FBR representative said that such incidents are generally first reported to the local police station before further legal proceedings are initiated.

He also shared a notification outlining the procedure for referring such cases to the FIA and assured the committee that the FBR would fully cooperate with the agency during the investigation.

The committee was also told that formal approval from the FBR Board of Members is required before initiating proceedings with the FIA.

During the meeting, Senator Talha Mahmood suggested expanding the scope of the inquiry and pointed to another incident that occurred in April 2024. He said that out of 1,262 cartons stored in a godown, 908 cartons were reportedly stolen, yet no FIR had been registered in that case.

He further noted that similar incidents had repeatedly occurred in areas falling under the jurisdiction of the Regional Tax Office (RTO) Peshawar and questioned why cigarette consignments appeared to be specifically targeted.

The committee was informed that CCTV cameras had been installed in all FBR godowns since January 14, 2026, and a new standard operating procedure (SOP) had been introduced to strengthen monitoring and security arrangements.

As part of disciplinary action, 10 officers in grades BS-16 and BS-17 had been suspended, while several officers suspected of having links with the business community had been transferred to other stations to dismantle any possible nexus.

The committee also sought records of all FBR godowns since 2012. Officials informed the panel that records from 11 out of 17 godowns had so far been submitted and a consolidated report would be provided on a priority basis.

The panel observed that regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were particularly vulnerable to such activities and directed the FBR and Pakistan Customs to take effective measures to curb smuggling.

The committee also noted a lack of coordination between the KP Police and the FIA, which it said had affected the progress of the investigation. The committee directed the FIA chief to take the matter seriously and ensure an expeditious investigation and disposal of the case.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026