Customs officers summoned in vehicle smuggling case

KARACHI: The Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission has summoned six customs officers from the Karachi Customs Collectorate on March 3, following allegations of their involvement in a vehicle smuggling case, ARY News reported on Friday.

The summoned customs officers include Additional Collector Wajid Zaman, Assistant Collectors Usama Dastagir and Fahad Khan, Superintendent Babar, Inspector Ahsan, and Inspector Wali Raza.

Notably, the special advisor to the finance minister and former collector Asif Hargan’s driver has also been called for questioning. The customs officers and personnel are accused of running a vehicle smuggling network in collaboration with private individuals.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed all relevant government agencies, particularly the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Pakistan Customs, to implement strict measures to combat smuggling throughout the country.

In response to the Prime Minister’s directives, the FBR has introduced a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) that grants authorities the power to confiscate vehicles and other means of transport used for transporting smuggled goods.

Earlier, Senator Faisal Vawda, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Maritime Affairs, assured customs agents that their concerns would be addressed.

During a press conference, representatives from the Pakistan Customs Agents Association (PCAA) voiced their worries about the suspension of licenses and the introduction of a new point-based performance system.

Senator Vawda expressed gratitude to the customs agents for ending their strike at his request, highlighting that they contribute 400 billion rupees in customs duty monthly. He emphasized that their strike could have detrimental effects on the country’s economy.

Additionally, Senator Vawda announced that customs agents have been called for a meeting on Wednesday to resolve their issues and that a list of corrupt officers has been requested from the customs agents.