ISLAMABAD: The Customs Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO) confiscated foreign currency, heroin, non-duty paid vehicles, mobile phones, medicines and miscellaneous goods worth Rs 282.525 million during July 2016.
It was informed by Deputy Collector Shahid Jan while talking to Customs Today. He added that performance of anti-smuggling squad remained satisfactory during the said period under the supervision of Islamabad Customs Collector Dr Arslan Subuctageen.
Following the directions of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Nisar Muhammad Khan, the anti-smuggling activities will be continued in new fiscal year with more effective and modern techniques to curb smuggling, besides impounding the non-duty paid vehicles, he added.
Jan said that monitoring of anti-smuggling activities has been started with the start of new fiscal year 2016-17 in order to achieved desired results, as were marked during last fiscal year 2015-16 by surpassing revenue collection targets,
Sharing performance of the ASO, he said that the customs seized 21.32 kilogram of heroin valued at Rs 220.50 million, 400,000 Saudi Riyals worth Rs 11.18 million and 35kg smuggled medicines worth Rs 636,000.
The ASO also confiscated 12,192 sets of smuggled mobile phones worth Rs 26.28 million, 5168 yards foreign origin fabric worth Rs 3.199 million, 1000kg food grains worth Rs 283,000 during the said period, he informed.
The ASO seized 120kg smuggled auto parts worth Rs 25,000, tyres and tubes valued at Rs 34,000, 260 litres of engine oil worth Rs 44,000,.cigarettes worth Rs 21,000, electronics worth Rs 1.663 million and miscellaneous goods worth Rs 1.602 million, he further said.
During July 2016, the ASO impounded six vehicles under Section 157 of the Customs Act, 1969 valued at Rs 5.50 million and five non-duty paid vehicles worth Rs 11.558 million, the deputy collector revealed.
He further shared that the Islamabad Customs collected Rs 796.26 million under the head of various duty/taxes during July 2016 as compare to Rs 782.85 million collected during corresponding period of last year 2015-16. The collectorate surpassed the last year’s collection by Rs 14 million.
The department generated Rs 260.55 million in the wake of customs duty during July 2016, while in last year the collection stood at Rs 210.55 million, he said, adding that it exceeded the collection of last year by Rs 50.03 million showing outstanding performance.
Shahid Jan said that the Islamabad Customs was trying to clear all pending rebates to importers, adding that the rebates issuing process was started after the appointment of Collector Dr Arslan Subucgtageen. During first month of current fiscal year, the collectoarate issued Rs 13-14 million as rebate to the importers, he said.