IBO operations: RTO Peshawar IREN seizes cartons of filter rods, cigarettes

ISLAMABAD: The Inland Revenue Enforcement Network (IREN) of the Regional Tax Office, Peshawar, conducted information-based operations and seized the 758 cartons of 132mm filter rods and 183 million sticks of cigarettes.

According to the details compiled by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Wednesday, during the last three days, one cigarette-making machine was sealed which is an undeclared machinery worth Rs250-300 million.

The FBR has lodged a crackdown against tax evasion in the cigarette industry by reactivating the IREN.

Sources told Business Recorder here on Wednesday that several teams from IREN, a sub-department of the FBR, have confiscated Illegal non-duty paid/illicit cigarettes worth millions of rupees during different operations in the past.

The IREN also seized 58 packarites of counterfeit cigarettes containing 580,000 sticks of cigarettes and 30 cartons of counterfeit HLs of different brands (equivalent to 2.4 million sticks).

The seizure also included 702 reels of counterfeit tipping paper (equivalent 197 million sticks); 60 drums of cig chemicals (10,800 litres).

The IREN also seized 24 million sticks of non-TTS affixed cigarettes/old retail printed packs of different brands.

During two different incidents, another 7.9 million filters were seized by the tobacco squad.

Seized goods were moved to a warehouse for further legal proceedings. The stock has been shifted to the FBR office for further investigation.

On receipt of credible information, a raid was conducted by IREN team RTO Peshawar and seized 68 packrites of non-TTS cigarettes 96.8 million sticks; 235 cartons of HLs (4000/carton) i.e. 18.8 million sticks; 718 reels of tipping paper (201 million sticks) and 900-1,000 kg of tow (raw material for filter rod - equivalent to (approximately 20 million sticks).

The seized items were moved to a warehouse for further proceedings, the FBR added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023