The challenge of smuggling: PM directs Suparco to provide real-time satellite imagery

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday directed Suparco to provide real-time satellite imagery of the country’s borders and traffic data to prevent smuggling.

The prime minister directed this while chairing a meeting on the smuggling of wheat, flour, sugar, and urea. The prime minister issued instructions to the concerned institutions to increase the number of these check posts.

He directed the chief secretary Punjab to supply the sugar seized in the recent failed smuggling attempts to the vendors and ensure that it is sold at the government-fixed rate of Rs95 per kg. He directed the Federal Minister for Food Security to call a meeting of the Sugar Advisory Board today to determine the support price of the sugarcane crop. He also directed to implement these measures and submit a report within two days.

PM authorizes major crackdown against smuggling, hoarding of sugar

The premier was informed about the measures taken by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Ministry of Interior, and the law enforcement agencies to prevent smuggling between provinces and outside the country.

The meeting was told that a nationwide operation is underway to prevent the smuggling of urea fertilizer and sugar. The meeting was further informed that on Sunday 49 trucks were seized by the FBR and law enforcement agencies, while FC also foiled attempts to smuggle thousands of tons of urea and sugar and took the items into their custody.

Joint patrolling teams are being established to stop cross-border smuggling, while four joint patrolling check posts have been established in Balochistan on the advice of intelligence agencies, where law enforcement agencies and the FBR will work together. The meeting was told that along with the identification of godowns in the border districts, the items caught in the failed smuggling attempts are being delivered to the dealers and facilitators under the track and trace system.

The meeting was also informed about the prepared list of names of officers who facilitate smuggling. In the meeting, the representatives of the sensitive institutions said that not only the smuggling items and their routes have been identified, but also the people involved have been identified, but action is also being taken against them.

It was further informed that 740 godowns used for storage in the border districts of the entire country have been identified. In the last four days, 2,800 metric tons of sugar and 1,400 metric tons of urea have been seized by law enforcement agencies during various operations.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023