ISLAMABAD, July 12: The intelligence wing of the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has admitted failure of the board in curbing rampant smuggling on Peshawar-Lahore GT road despite the presence of personnel of various agencies.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Friday that senior officials of the directorate of customs intelligence and investigation also pointed a finger at some tax officials who were presumably collaborating with the smugglers for safe transportation of their consignments from NWFP to down the country.

Four MNAs namely - Amir Muqam, Mohammad Hanif Abbasi, Rana Asif Tauseef and Begum Ishrat Ashraf also raised the issue in parliament in the question hour and sought comments from the CBR on the issue.

The sources said the customs intelligence and investigation director-general in a report submitted to the CBR admitted that smuggling on Peshawar-Lahore GT road was continuing unabated.

According to the sources, the directorate has also provided the board with a list of the registration numbers of all those vehicles used for the purpose. The sources further said despite all this information available with the CBR, the tax officials were yet to take any action in this regard.

The smugglers, the report pointed out, instead of large convoys of trucks now moved in small pockets of 4-5 trucks escorted by cars and armed men. Interestingly, the personnel of various agencies deployed on GT road let buses and trucks pass by but catch the poor one-time buyer.

The report further disclosed that the smugglers selected random times mainly during the late hours of night till morning for transportation of the goods and frequently used Khushal Gar- Rawalpindi route in addition to the main Peshawar-Lahore GT road.

It further said the Khund Post of Peshawar collectorate and customs intelligence was ineffective or in league with the smugglers.

He also provided a list of the registration numbers of the cars and the buses reportedly involved in smuggling of goods in the area of collectors of Peshawar, Rawalpindi and DG customs intelligence, Peshawar.