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Govt chalking out plan to eradicate smuggling at borders

Sohail Sarfraz

ISLAMABAD: The government is working out a comprehensive plan to eradicate smuggling at the borders, it was learnt on Thursday.

The present regime has also been compiling an extensive database on the irregularities and corruption at the airports, sea ports, dry ports, Customs stations, diplomatic bonded warehouses and duty-free shops.

The government has been collecting necessary information about the organisational set up of the smuggling which is causing loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.

The military regime has asked the Central Board of Revenue to provide information to work out the methodology of anti-smuggling measures and its enforcement.

The government has asked to provide main routes of smuggling, organisational set up, groups and individuals involved in organised smuggling.

The government is also compiling information about the techniques and methods used by the smugglers.

The government has also seek information about those agencies involved in helping or providing assistance to the smugglers.

The CBR will also provide information regarding the main investors and marketing groups involved in smuggling and the organisation responsible for anti-smuggling at Central and provincial level.

The board will submit report on the working methodology of anti-smuggling bodies and organisations and the notified routes posts for Customs checking.

The military government has further explained to CBR that besides smuggling, the revenue is also being lost due to departmental irregularities and corruption at airports, sea ports, dry ports, Customs stations, diplomatic bonded warehouses and duty-free shops.

In this regard, the CBR will provide information about the groups, parties and individuals suspected to be involved in irregularities, general nature of irregularities at each establishment and the involvement of anti-smuggling departments and level.

The military regime has also demanded comprehensive database on the special areas requiring watch and check against irregularities.

The CBR will also provide information on departmental powers of punishment against defaulters and legal body required for checking the irregularities considering the authentication for the legal action against defaulters.

The Cabinet committee on the control of smuggling has already decided that combined check-posts of Tribal Areas administration, Frontier Corps and Customs would be set up under the supervision of the political agents concerned who should also be held accountable on this account. At these check-posts goods coming from across the border will also be legitimised by payment of duties and taxes.

The committee also decided that check-posts would be established at all inter provincial entry points so that the flow of smuggled goods to the down country did not take place.

To eliminate any leakages and corruption at dry ports, process of computerisation would be accelerated to eliminate contact between the importers and the Customs staff, the committee decided.

Federal Anti-smuggling Coordination Committee under the secretary, Interior Division, has been set up to review the performance and recommendations of the main Regional Anti-smuggling Coordination Committee at Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.