PESHAWAR, July 20: Import duty charged by the Afghan government against the goods imported under Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) via Pakistan has made smuggling of foreign goods to Pakistan less lucrative, according to business circles. “The cost of smuggling goods has considerably gone up over the past few months, making the illegal business less rewarding,” said a freight dealer.

Arooj Ansari, a customs clearance agent dealing in import business, said that the introduction of import duty by the Afghan government had led to discourage smuggling by making it a less attractive proposition.

Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, another customs clearance agent, said that sealing of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a result of the deployment of army troops had also led to discourage the smuggling business.

“Smuggling is no more a profit making proposition as the cost of carrying out the illegal activity via traditional routes on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has gone considerably high,” said Mr Haq.

Though the illegal business, he added, had not come to a halt, the quantum of goods smuggled presently was lower than the past.

According to business circles, the deployment of army troops on the troubled border between the two countries had also made smuggling an expensive affair.

“A container full of foreign goods which used to cost Rs100,000 to the smugglers previously, now finds its way in Pakistan after payment of Rs250,000 bribe to the facilitators from among the law enforcement agencies,” said the freight dealer.

Customs clearance agents agreed with the contention and said that sealing of the border and establishment of check-posts to control illegal entry of unwanted elements to and from Pakistan had led to an increase in the price the smugglers used to pay as bribe to the border security forces.

Similarly, said the business circles, the Afghan government had started collecting import duty against the goods imported in the war-torn country under the ATT via Pakistan.