KARACHI: Customs Intelligence on Friday claimed to have seized smuggled cigarettes worth Rs. 303 million during a ten-day nationwide operation.
According to the official details, the largest haul was made in Balochistan, where Customs Intelligence confiscated a staggering 4,280,000 sticks of foreign-brand cigarettes, valuing Rs. 114.2 million.
In Sindh province, eight operations led to the seizure of 1,420,700 sticks of high-end cigarette brands worth Rs. 69.7 million. Similarly, Customs Intelligence teams in Punjab seized 1,294,000 sticks of smuggled cigarettes, valued at Rs. 75.3 million.
Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), a total of 1,155,000 sticks of smuggled cigarettes with an estimated value of Rs. 43.9 million were seized.
During the ten-day operation, Customs Intelligence successfully confiscated 8,149,700 sticks of smuggled cigarettes worth Rs. 303 million.
These recent seizures have contributed to the overall tally for the current fiscal year 2022-23, which now stands at an impressive 33,994,850 sticks of smuggled cigarettes with a cumulative value of Rs. 1,324 million.
Chairman FBR, Asim Ahmad, and Director General Customs Intelligence, Faiz Ahmad Chadhar, commended the remarkable efforts of Customs Intelligence teams deployed in Quetta, Karachi, Multan, Gwadar, Hyderabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar. Despite facing challenges such as limited manpower and logistical constraints, the Customs Intelligence has demonstrated its effectiveness in eradicating the menace of smuggling, particularly concerning smuggled cigarettes.
The seizures of such a large quantity of contraband cigarettes not only represent a significant financial blow to the illicit trade but also serve as a solid deterrent for smugglers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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