Bid to evade over Rs683m in duties, taxes foiled

The Directorate General of Transit Trade reportedly blocked an alleged plan to dodge duties and taxes worth over Rs683 million, according to Business Recorder. A pair of containers was stopped at Karachi Port, where cigarette paper and acetate tow were allegedly declared as printed or misprinted paper rolls. The two containers were initially valued at about Rs1.8 million, yet a closer check lifted their assessed worth above Rs106 million.

Officials said the seized goods comprised 4,934 kilogrammes of cigarette paper, 47,273 kilogrammes of acetate tow, imported perfumes and mineral water. A tip from the Anti-Narcotics Force prompted the operation, and a joint inspection then found both goods hidden behind the printed-paper description. The Custom House laboratory identified the tow as cellulose acetate and the paper as uncoated cigarette paper, a restricted import under the Import Policy Order 2022.

A criminal case has been registered against the relevant parties, and the probe is checking whether earlier consignments used the same method. Officials have also questioned why declared acetate tow imports have almost stopped over the past two years even as cigarette production grew, which raises the possibility of illicit supply chains. The case is seen as a major test of customs enforcement against schemes that use transit and dry-port channels, and the probe is continuing to identify the wider network.