ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Customs has launched a sweeping crackdown on the illicit cigarette trade, seizing smuggled cigarettes and raw materials worth over Rs1.1 billion in major intelligence-based operations conducted in Lahore and Hyderabad.
According to official sources, the operations were carried out by the Chief Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement), Islamabad, targeting organized networks involved in smuggling acetate tow, cigarette paper, filter rods, and tobacco — key inputs used in the production of counterfeit and non-duty-paid cigarettes.
In one of the largest operations in recent years, the Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement), Lahore raided M/s Ayesha Rice Mills in Daska, where officers discovered large quantities of cigarette manufacturing materials concealed under the guise of agricultural storage. Follow-up raids at M/s Nazeer Rice Mills and nearby warehouses in Sundar Industrial Estate led to the recovery of nearly 12.5 metric tons of acetate tow and over 120 metric tons of packaging materials, filters, and foils. The seized goods are valued at over Rs1 billion, officials said.
The crackdown has exposed a growing trend where illegal cigarette manufacturers use front companies such as rice mills to hide operations and evade taxes. Customs officials said the investigation has also revealed links to smuggling networks importing raw materials from abroad for supply to unregistered factories across Punjab.
Meanwhile, the Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement), Hyderabad, intensified its campaign against smuggled and non-duty-paid cigarettes. Between October 1 and 29, enforcement teams confiscated 7.72 million cigarette sticks (386,100 packets) and large consignments of smuggled tobacco and acetate tow. A major raid near Tando Allahyar led to the recovery of 18,492 kilograms of Brazilian-origin tobacco and 433 kilograms of acetate tow, collectively valued at Rs45–50 million.
Officials said the seized goods were part of a wider illegal supply chain feeding unlicensed cigarette factories in the region. Investigations are underway to trace the financiers and distributors behind these networks.
Chairman FBR commended the coordinated efforts of Lahore and Hyderabad Customs, stating that these operations reflect the Board’s resolve to dismantle the illicit tobacco supply chain as part of the FBR Transformation Plan.
“These actions aim not only to protect national revenue but also to ensure fair market competition and safeguard public health,” he added.
