ISLAMABAD: The federal government has detected a nationwide network of mobile phone smugglers and dealers who with the alleged support of officials of various departments are involved in smuggling expensive smartphones from abroad.
Sources said the Prime Minister Secretariat has shared 85 names of allegedly involved officials belonging to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), ASU special branch, Police, FC, and PIA who have allegations of connivance with 46 smugglers and 92 dealers involved in patching the mobile phone.
Sources said the PM Secretariat has directed the FBR and other departments to share details of measures taken including policy options in light of the shared report besides an impact assessment of the measures taken to curb mobile phone smuggling in the country.
Earlier, the PM secretariat has also directed the FBR and other departments to conduct fact-finding inquiries in respect of all officers/officials and shared the consolidated final report with categorical recommendations.
Mobile smuggling is carried out in an organised manner by unscrupulous elements with the connivance and active support of various LEAs’ officials.
According to the PM secretary’s inquiry, Dubai is the most frequent air-route used for mobile smuggling into Pakistan through various airports especially Peshawar, Sialkot, Faisalabad, and Karachi. Besides porters, kids and Laghris (petty smugglers) smuggle mobile phones through Angoor Adda and Chaman border crossings.
Reportedly, around 1,500 Laghris cross Friendship Gate, Chaman border on a daily basis, and each Laghri carries one or two mobile phones while crossing the border into Pakistan.
Methods used by mobile dealers/shopkeepers to make the smuggled phones usable in Pakistan include replacing the IMEI of new smuggled and expensive mobile phones with old/dilapidated and cheaper ones.
Various models of branded phones are being used for patching of smuggled/non-PTA approved expensive mobile phones which makes them cheaper than legally imported/PTA-approved phones. Other method employed by the shopkeepers is to change the IMEI number of smuggled mobile phone through CPID paid software. Besides, list of 92 such dealers involved in patching of mobile phones.
Sources said that the PM Secretariat has asked departments to implement rotational policy for LEAs officials posted at entry and exit points of airports, land border crossing and seaports so that they may not be able to develop intimacy with mobile smugglers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023