FBR says intelligence-led operations near Islamabad uncovered non-duty-paid vehicles, motorcycles and electronics
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As many Pakistanis tighten their belts, skip second helpings and count the cost of every grocery trip, Customs officials say someone was still dining on caviar tastes and apparently driving a Rolls-Royce, all without paying their dues.
Pakistan Customs has seized a luxury Rolls-Royce, along with heavy motorcycles and electronic goods worth an estimated PKR 412.2 million, in a series of intelligence-based raids in and around the capital, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said Wednesday.
The seizures came during late-night operations by Customs Enforcement Islamabad, acting on tips about the movement and concealment of non-customs-paid vehicles and goods — a reminder that while purchasing power for most citizens has shrunk, the smuggling business appears well-fed.
Along with the Rolls-Royce, officials impounded 19 heavy motorcycles from Suzuki and Kawasaki and a large quantity of laptops and other electronic devices. Authorities said all the items were illegally brought into the country without payment of duties, in violation of the Customs Act, 1969.
The confiscated goods were shifted to a customs warehouse for further examination, and legal proceedings have been initiated. Investigators are now working to identify those behind the operation and to dismantle the wider smuggling network.
The FBR said Pakistan Customs will continue intelligence-led crackdowns to curb illicit trade and protect national revenue, even as the country grapples with high living costs and reduced household consumption.
For now, officials say, at least one Rolls-Royce has been taken off the smugglers’ menu — even if for most Pakistanis, luxury has been reduced to an extra cup of tea rather than a ride in a chauffeur-driven car.
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