1,200 fuel stations shut over smuggling

Customs official says move to boost national revenue

LAHORE:

Customs authorities have shut down more than 1,200 fuel stations involved in the sale of smuggled petroleum products across Punjab.

The ongoing operation has reportedly boosted sale of legal petroleum products in the country. It is expected that due to the legal import of petroleum products, the revenue in terms of taxes and duties will also increase.

Customs sources said the smuggling of fuel into the country through the Iranian border had stopped and the law enforcement agencies were working together with the department for the purpose.

The sources said it was estimated that more than 2,500 petrol pumps in Punjab had been involved in selling illegal petroleum products and action had so far been taken against more than 1,200 of them.

The highest sale of smuggled petrol in Punjab was detected in Bahawalpur division, followed by Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan.

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Not a single petrol pump has been sealed in Lahore so far, while 50 pumps were sealed in Sheikhupura district of the division, 98 in Kasur and 20 in Nankana Sahib. Meanwhile, four filling stations have been sealed in Sahiwal, 34 in Okara, 21 in Pakpattan, 25 in Gujranwala, 22 in Sialkot, 23 in Gujrat, 13 in Narowal, 21 in Mandi Bahauddin, 23 in Hafizabad, 25 in Rawalpindi, 37 in Attock, nine in Jhelum and 14 in Chakwal

Another 27 petrol pumps were sealed in Sargodha, seven in Khushab, 41 in Bhakkar, 14 in Mianwali, 38 in Faisalabad, three in Toba Tek Singh, 37 in Chiniot, 46 in Bahawalpur, 35 in Bahawalnagar and 183 in Rahim Yar Khan.

The authorities sealed 33 pumps in DG Khan, 53 in Layyah, 26 in Rajanpur and 41 in Muzaffargarh district of Dera Ghazi Khan division. Four fuel stations were sealed in Multan, 37 in Khanewal, 27 in Vehari and 15 in Lodhran.

Collector Model Customs Collectorate (Enforcement and Compliance) Basit Maqsood Abbasi said while speaking to The Express Tribune that over 2.5 million litres of petrol and three million litres of diesel had been seized from the sealed filling stations in the province. He said notices had also been issued to the owners of the petrol pumps.

Action is also being taken against the owners over lack of approval from district governments and the K-form for permission to store petroleum. Cases are being registered against those found violating the relevant laws.

The customs official said the operation was going ahead on a large scale all over Punjab and due to the move the sale of authorised fuel stations had increased.

The measure will also benefit the country in terms of revenue.

Abbasi said smuggling of petroleum products worth $2 billion was taking place in the country annually, due to which the national exchequer was facing financial losses.

He said strict action was being taken against the smugglers of petrol. If the proven guilty, the assets of such people will also be confiscated as per the law.

The official said the prime minister was also monitoring the operation.

He said substandard fuel was also causing severe damage to engines of vehicles and inflicting losses on their owners.

Curbing the smuggling of petroleum products would help in controlling the black economy and other illegal businesses, he added. He said ensuring legal import of standard petroleum products would also benefit the environment in addition to increasing national revenue.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2021.