FBR seizes smuggled cigarettes worth Rs80m from Karachi warehouse

Inland Revenue Enforcement Network confiscates 1,290 cartons of cigarettes, ‘largest in Pakistan’s history'

KARACHI: Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR's) Inland Revenue Enforcement Network (IREN) seized 1,290 cartons of cigarettes worth Rs80 million, on which duty was not paid, from a warehouse in SITE Area during a raid on Friday.

Director Intelligence and Investigation Inland Revenue Service Karachi (I&I IRS) Asem Iftikhar claimed that such a large amount of cigarettes, on which duty was not paid, was confiscated by IREN for the first time in Pakistan's history.

"The employees present at the warehouse failed to provide the legal documents for the confiscated cigarettes when sought by the team," said Iftikhar. A loss of billions of rupees was being caused to the finance department due to smuggling of cigarettes, he added.

According to Iftikhar, smuggling of the said amount of cigarette involved nonpayment of Rs35.64 million in Federal Excise Duty and Rs27.38 million in sales tax.

He said that IREN had registered a case against persons involved in the smuggling and further investigation was underway.