ISLAMABAD: Collectorate of Customs Collector Seema Raza Bokhari said pursuing the instructions of the FBR, the Customs anti-smuggling staff of Islamabad directed to enhance efforts to curb the smuggling of currency, gold and NDP vehicles along with other smuggled goods.
Talking with Customs Today, the collector said this trend has been seen that people are trying to shift gold and currency out of the country while following the said trend of smuggling so ‘we have tightened vigilance on airports as well as on the roads to make countable operations against smugglers and tax evaders’.
She added it is expected that during current financial year 2019-20 the revenue target will be raised against the corresponding FY18-19 so ‘we have to work hard to meet the desired results’.
She said it has been instructed to all the customs stations working under the MCC Islamabad i.e. Islamabad dry port and AFU (air freight unit) to gear up efforts to collected extra revenue against expected high revenue targets, adding that the anti smuggling staff have also been instructed to make special measures to curb the smuggling of NDP (non duty paid) vehicles and other contraband goods because the government wants to stop the menace of smuggling.
Seema Raza said she is hopeful that during current financial year the MCC Islamabad will achieve revenue collection target as well as no attempt of smuggling of gold or currency will be occurred within the jurisdiction of MCC Islamabad, as an evidence she notified that the anti smuggling staff of NIIA (New Islamabad International Airport) during month of July made two huge cases including a foreign currency seizure equaling Rs 3 million which was seized by a Dubai bound passenger who was carrying different foreign origin currencies while in another case the staff intercepted a passenger named Ahmad Faraz who was traveling to Dubai. He was apprehended at the departure lounge after immigration clearance and seized 950 kgs of gold bars from his luggage.