Theft of cigarette cartons from FBR warehouses: Panel directs coordination to complete probe

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Thursday directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and regional police to coordinate closely to complete the investigation into the theft of cigarette cartons worth Rs250 million from FBR warehouses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the earliest.

The sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control met under the convenership of Senator Saifullah Abro to review the alleged theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from FBR godowns located in Swabi and Mardan. The committee convener also instructed the FIA to conduct geo-fencing of the area to help identify individuals involved in the incident.

Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood expressed annoyance that responsibility for the theft appeared to be placed only on lower-level staff. He stressed that senior officers should also be held accountable if found involved in the embezzlement.

Senator Talha further asked the relevant authorities to present video footage of the warehouse at the next committee meeting. He also called for an examination of the assets of staff posted at the warehouse and urged investigators to identify beneficiaries of the theft, including any industrialists who might have profited from it.

FIA officials informed the committee that the case had been referred to the agency by regional police through the Ministry of Interior. They said the incident involved embezzlement of goods valued at approximately Rs250 million.

Officials also revealed several irregularities discovered during the inquiry. According to them, there was no designated officer in charge of the warehouse, no official logbook or stock register was maintained, and no duty roster existed for the staff posted there.

They added that the facility lacked CCTV cameras and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for shifting seized items between warehouses. Moreover, there was no gate-pass record for drivers and no entry of the mobile squad in the movement register.

Authorities told the committee that statements of several officers posted at the warehouse had been recorded and that the investigation was ongoing.

Separately, Senator Talha Mahmood raised the issue of more than half a ton of gold confiscated by Pakistan Customs between June 2011 and 2025. Customs officials informed the committee that all seized gold is handed over to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), which melts the metal and deposits its value into the government treasury.

Officials further explained that confiscated goods are categorized as either auctionable or destroyable. Items such as betel nut, cigarettes, and other addictive commodities fall under the destroyable category and cannot be auctioned, making them more vulnerable to theft.

An official of the Regional Tax Office (RTO) Peshawar also briefed the committee on machinery used in cigarette manufacturing, noting that such equipment costs more than Rs1 billion. If illegal cigarette production is detected on such machinery, the equipment is seized, and the case is referred to the relevant authorities, while production remains suspended until a court decision is reached.

The committee directed Pakistan Customs to submit detailed information on all confiscated items—including gold, silver, electronics, cigarettes, and narcotics—since 2012 within 10 days before it.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026