The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has extended anti-smuggling powers of various law enforcement agencies (LEAs) up to June 30, 2025.
In this regard, the FBR issued four notifications on Tuesday.
The FBR has empowered the Pakistan Rangers, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), and Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) to actively combat smuggling. However, these LEAs will work in collaboration with officials from Pakistan Customs to effectively eliminate smuggling activities within the country.
The FBR has amended several notifications outlining the guidelines and limitations associated with the delegation of powers. The Rangers, in particular, have been granted specific limitations, which include the following:
(i) Their operations, excluding city municipal limits, customs areas, customs stations, ports, border customs stations, international airports, and bonded warehouses, will be confined to within fifty kilometers of the international borders for goods other than essential commodities.
In the case of preventing the smuggling of essential commodities specified under subclause (iv) of clause (s) of section 2 of the Customs Act, 1969 (IV of 1969), their operations will extend to the bordering districts of Balochistan adjoining Afghanistan, including city municipal limits and certain highways in the province of Balochistan.
LEA personnel are prohibited from inspecting the baggage and goods of legitimate passengers cleared from any customs area.
The LEA personnel are required to provide support to customs officers in performing their functions as outlined in Section 7 of the Customs Act, 1969. Additionally, Pakistan Rangers personnel have been advised to deposit seized goods suspected of being smuggled or intended for smuggling only in a state warehouse approved by the Collector of Customs.
The delegation of powers to the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) comes with similar considerations.
