ISLAMABAD, March 18: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has launched a countrywide campaign against smuggled vehicles to bring them under duty and tax nets. A senior official told Dawn that CBR had entrusted the customs field formation with the anti-smuggling powers to identify non-duty paid vehicles in the country.

The decision was taken following the lukewarm response from the owners of non-duty paid vehicles to the CBR’s facility to clear these vehicles on the payment of a fine of 30 per cent of the value in addition to duty and taxes.

The official said so far only few vehicles, mostly wagons, were registered following payment of duty and taxes. “The CBR has formulated a liberal policy with no deadline for non-duty paid vehicles’ registration. The owners will be enjoying this facility until confiscation of their vehicles by the customs department,” the official said.

Once confiscated, the owners could only get their vehicles released by paying the duty and taxes.—Reporter