Islamabad, March 12, 2026: A meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control was held under the convenorship of Senator Saifullah Abro. The meeting was attended by Member Committee Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood.
The Sub-Committee deliberated on the matter regarding the theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from the go-downs of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Swabi and Mardan.
During the meeting, the Member FBR assured the Committee that the directives issued in the previous meeting would be complied with. He further suggested that the case may be handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further investigation and necessary legal action.
Officials of the FIA briefed the Committee that the case had been referred to the agency by the Regional Police Headquarters through the Ministry of Interior. The incident involved an embezzlement amounting to approximately Rs. 250 million.
During the briefing, several serious administrative lapses were highlighted. It was noted that there was no designated officer in charge of the warehouse, no official logbook or stock register was maintained, and no duty roster of the staff posted at the warehouse was available. Furthermore, there were no CCTV cameras installed, no standard operating procedures (SOPs) for shifting seized items from one go-down to another, no gate pass record of the drivers, and no entry of the mobile squad in the movement register.
The FIA informed the Committee that statements of several officers posted at the warehouse had been recorded and that the inquiry was currently underway.
The Convener of the Sub-Committee directed the FBR, FIA, and the Regional Police to ensure close coordination to conclude the investigation effectively. He also directed that geofencing of the incident be conducted to help identify the individuals involved.
Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood expressed concern over the possibility of responsibility being fixed only on lower-level staff and stressed that senior officers must also be held accountable if found involved in the embezzlement. He recommended that the video footage of the warehouse be presented in the next meeting and that the assets of the staff posted at the warehouse be examined. He further emphasized the need to identify the beneficiaries, including industrialists, who may have profited from the theft.
The Regional Tax Office (RTO) Peshawar also briefed the Committee regarding the machinery used for cigarette manufacturing, stating that such machinery costs more than Rs. 1 billion. It was explained that if illegal cigarette manufacturing is detected on such machinery, the equipment is seized as per procedure and the case is referred to the relevant authorities, while production remains suspended until the court decides the matter.
During the meeting, Senator Talha Mahmood also raised another issue regarding the confiscation of more than half a ton of gold by Pakistan Customs between June 2011 and 2025. Customs officials informed the Sub Committee that all confiscated gold is handed over to the State Bank of Pakistan, which subsequently melts the gold and deposits its value into the government treasury.
The Committee was further informed that all confiscated materials are categorized as either auctionable or destroyable. Customs authorities are not permitted to auction items such as betel nut, cigarettes, and other addictive commodities. These items fall under the destroyable category and are therefore more vulnerable to theft.
The Committee directed Pakistan Customs to submit comprehensive details of all confiscated items, including gold, silver, electronics, cigarettes, and narcotics since 2012, within ten days.
