Senate panel probes Rs250m cigarette theft from FBR warehouses

2026-02-24 - 07:03

ISLAMABAD – A sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior has examined the alleged disappearance of 2,828 cartons of confiscated cigarettes, valued at approximately Rs250 million, from storage facilities of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The meeting, chaired by Senator Saifullah Abro, focused on concerns regarding the custody, transfer, and monitoring of seized goods. Lawmakers questioned the procedures followed by officials in handling the confiscated items and whether proper safeguards were in place. FBR representatives informed the panel that six trucks loaded with 1,262 cartons of cigarettes had been intercepted in Swabi on January 14, 2024. Committee members sought clarification on why the seized consignments were later divided and transported to two different warehouses. Responding to questions raised by Senator Talha Mahmood, officials stated that the relocation was necessitated by limited storage capacity. According to the briefing, four trucks were moved to one warehouse while the remaining two were shifted to another site. However, committee members expressed serious concern after learning that the cigarettes had been transferred from a facility equipped with surveillance systems to a warehouse reportedly lacking CCTV coverage. Officials disclosed that the missing cartons were detected on May 7, 2025. A First Information Report (FIR) was subsequently lodged on May 21, 2025, at Swabi Police Station, after which the case was referred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further investigation. During the proceedings, Senator Umar Farooq inquired whether any additional seized goods had gone missing. FBR authorities replied that no other items were reported stolen. The committee was informed that disciplinary action had been taken against several officials, with three officers dismissed from service and eight others transferred. It was further stated that none of the dismissed officials is currently under arrest. The panel was also told that an additional 20 cartons were allegedly stolen in January 2026, despite the introduction of revised standard operating procedures after the earlier incident. According to FBR officials, the confiscated cigarettes belonged to the “Paramount Kisan” brand. The committee was briefed that a High Court has ordered a fresh inquiry into the matter. In compliance with the court’s directives, the seized vehicles were released after payment of fines while the cigarette cartons remained in official custody. Describing the case as grave, the committee directed the FBR to submit comprehensive details within two days, including a full account of the incident, records of the officers concerned, and a decade-long enforcement history of Customs and FBR actions related to confiscated goods. Cars, Cigarettes, Electronics to get expensive as govt mulls Mini-Budget amid floods