THIS is with reference to news ‘Smuggled cloth worth Rs20m seized’ (Dec 12). This is not first such incident. Raids and recoveries from warehouses are but a regular feature. If the Customs authorities conduct fresh raids on other warehouses, they would again recover smuggled goods worth billions of rupees. The government has deployed a large number of agencies other than Customs to ensure that nothing is smuggled in or out of Pakistan from seaports, airports, through railway, highways, etc. It has also established checkposts at important locations throughout the country for the purpose.

The security is so tight that no one can smuggle even a needle. How come such huge consignments of assorted goods then find their way into Pakistani markets? With all those agencies in place, how come smuggling continues? The goods are not dropped through parachutes; they are brought in through seaports, airports and by road going through a number of checkpoints and mobile anti-smuggling detachments from Customs and other law-enforcement agencies. How?

It can rightly be said that it has been allowed without payment of duties with permission on settled terms and that is no more a secret. Why till today the sources have not been plugged? Why action has not been taken against officers who deliberately allow entry of goods for obvious reasons without payment of customs duty?

Karachi is full of such warehouses and it feeds the entire country. Would it not be better that all the warehouses are raided to recover smuggled goods to prevent smuggling in the future?

It is surprising to learn that the raiding team is being rewarded, while, as a matter of principle, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should hold an enquiry to know how, despite all vigilance and anti-smuggling units deployed all around, the goods had reached the said warehouses. We need to address the root cause. Can we do it?

Lt-Col (retd) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2022