KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reactivated anti-smuggling check-posts and mobile squads to contain rampant smuggling.

The check-posts have been reactivated vide circular No.4(9)AS&C/2003-Pt issued on Sept 28, 2009.

The FBR issued directives in this regard to the field offices following a decision taken at the collectors’ conference held recently under the chairmanship of FBR chairman Sohail Ahmed in Islamabad. Finance minister Shaukat Tareen has also given his consent.

However, the FBR has also asked field offices to ensure that activities of anti-smuggling personnel at check-posts be monitored closely by collectorates so that there is no incident of harassment.

It has been suggested that each check-post would be run under the supervision of a deputy superintendent or superintendent. The FBR also asked that senior officers should make surprise visits to monitor working of check-posts. Similarly, the practice of deploying mobile squads permanently at specific points may be avoided.

These customs check-posts and mobile squads have worked as a deterrent against smuggling in the past and sometimes even helped capture misdeclared goods moving out of the customs areas, an official at the Karachi Customs said.

However, the government of Shaukat Aziz in 2004 had withdrawn mobile squads and had also abolished customs check posts, which almost paralysed the department.

There had been large scale misdeclarations and under invoicing by unscrupulous importers as such goods ultimately find their way to domestic market which damages local industry.

The official said that had there been such check-posts, the disappearance of 182 containers from the Port Qasim and disappearance of 1034 Goods Declarations (DGs) from customs system may have been avoided.