ISLAMABAD: In pursuit of the vision of Prime Minister to contain the menace of trade of counterfeit and illicit tobacco, Federal Board of Revenue’s Directorate General of Intelligence & Investigation – Inland Revenue has issued stringent directives to expedite the enforcement measures against the trade of counterfeit/Non-Duty Paid cigarettes. 

A team of DG I&I-IR (Tobacco Squad), through its intelligence network intercepted a vehicle in the vicinity of Burhan Interchange on Motorway. During search of the vehicle, a huge cache of 500 pack rites (5,000,000 sticks) of local brands of cigarettes, involving revenue amounting to Rs. 15.795 million including FED of Rs. 13.5 million and Sales Tax of Rs. 2.295 million were discovered. On inquiry, it was also found that FED and Sales Tax were not deposited in Government Exchequer against supplies of aforesaid cigarettes. Thus, the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation-Inland Revenue, Islamabad seized the cigarettes and mandatory legal proceedings for recovery of due taxes have been initiated. 

Few weeks ago, the squad of the Directorate intercepted three vehicles carrying 900 pack rites (9,000,000 sticks) of non-duty/taxes paid cigarettes being supplied on the same route.