The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Pakistan Customs have been granted powers to confiscate vehicles and other conveyances used in transporting smuggled goods under a newly introduced amendment in law.
The FBR said in a statement that in a decisive move to intensify the government’s ongoing anti-smuggling campaign, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif directed all relevant government bodies, particularly the FBR and Pakistan Customs, to take stringent measures to combat smuggling across the country.
One of the key amendments reinforcing anti-smuggling efforts is the recent change to SRO 499(I)/2009, introduced via SRO 1619(I)/2024, which empowers authorities to confiscate vehicles and other conveyances used in transporting smuggled goods.
This is a significant shift from the previous regime under SRO 499(I)/2009, where offenders had the opportunity to recover seized vehicles by paying a redemption fine.
The new measure intends to ensure that the tools used in smuggling operations are permanently removed.
The FBR said that this amendment reflects the government’s resolve to eradicate smuggling, which has long plagued the nation’s economy, depriving it of critical revenue while encouraging the informal market. This is one of the many steps being taken to eliminate smuggling and protect Pakistan’s economy.
The Chairman FBR Rashid Mahmood Langrial has called for immediate action by the Customs officials and law enforcement agencies to enforce this amendment through coordinated efforts and ensure that all conveyances used in smuggling activities, once apprehended, are permanently removed from operations.
