ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue has extended to the Frontier Corps (FC) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan the powers to fight smuggling.

A notification to this effect was issued on Wednesday.

The FC will work within 50 kilometres of the international borders and at inter-provincial joint check points for smuggled goods of all kinds, excluding essential commodities like wheat, sugar and fertilizer, according to the notification.

But the FC will not be authorised to conduct any operation in the municipal limits, customs areas, customs stations, ports, borders customs stations, international airports and bonded warehouses.

The force will not check the baggage of a bona fide passenger and goods clea­red in a Customs area.

They shall avoid any action that may affect border trade, the notification said.

Goods seized by the Frontier Corps will have to be deposited in a state warehouse approved by the Collector of Customs. The FC will have to submit details of monthly seizure.

At the same time, the FC will check smuggling of wheat/flour, sugar and fertiliser/urea in the five districts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which are near the Afghan border.

The FC can take action within city municipal limits and at joint checkpoints

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2023