Customs Seizes Smuggled Cigarettes Worth Rs. 33.6 Million

Pakistan Customs has launched a crackdown against smuggled cigarettes throughout the country. According to a statement issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Sunday, godowns and stores at multiple locations in different cities have been raided, and large quantities have been seized over the past couple of days. After the enhancement of federal excise duty (FED) on cigarettes, reports were received that the smuggling of cigarettes has witnessed a significant increase. Over the last week, Customs teams in different cities have identified godowns used to store smuggled cigarettes for distribution to shops for sale. Several raids have been carried out over the past two days and more operations would be conducted in the next few days, the statement said. Recovery of huge quantities of foreign brands has been made. The value of cigarettes seized so far is estimated at Rs. 33.6 million, FBR said in its statement.