Islamabad: In a significant move against illicit trade, Pakistan Customs has conducted a series of enforcement actions targeting smuggled cigarettes and raw materials valued at over Rs. 1.1 billion. The operations, which took place in Lahore and Hyderabad, have successfully dismantled multiple networks involved in illegal cigarette manufacturing.

The Lahore Collectorate of Customs, acting on reliable intelligence, exposed an organized network of illegal cigarette manufacturers operating under the guise of rice mills. A raid on M/s Ayesha Rice Mills in Daska led to the seizure of essential materials used in counterfeit cigarette production, including acetate tow, cigarette paper, and filter rods.

Following the initial raid, further investigations uncovered another facility, M/s Nazeer Rice Mills, which had been evacuated. The seized materials were traced to warehouses near Sundar Industrial Estate in Lahore, where a coordinated team recovered approximately 12.5 metric tons of acetate tow and over 120 metric tons of cigarette-making materials.

The market value of these seizures is estimated at over Rs. 1 billion, marking it as one of the largest in the country’s enforcement history. The operation provided crucial insights into the smuggling supply chain feeding unlicensed factories across Punjab.

Simultaneously, the Hyderabad Collectorate intensified its crackdown on smuggling activities. Between October 1st and 29th, multiple enforcement actions resulted in the seizure of 386,100 packets of imported and counterfeit cigarettes, valued at Rs. 54.48 million. A major raid near Tando Allahyar uncovered 18,492 kg of smuggled Brazilian-origin tobacco and 433 kg of acetate tow, valued at Rs. 45-50 million.

Investigations are ongoing to trace the networks’ financiers and suppliers. The Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) praised the efforts of the Lahore and Hyderabad Collectorates, highlighting these operations as a reflection of FBR’s strengthened resolve to combat the illicit tobacco supply chain.

These actions, part of the FBR Transformation Plan, underscore the Board’s commitment to disrupting smuggling networks, ensuring revenue protection, fair competition, and public health safety.