FBR plans smuggling crackdown with new Indus River checkpoints

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue has proposed a plan to set up checkpoints on both sides of all Indus River crossings at a cost of Rs34.855 billion.

The aim is to curb smuggling by cutting off the flow of illicit goods from the western borders to the eastern economic centers — Punjab and Sindh. As part of this initiative, digital enforcement stations will be established on 24 bridges across the Indus River and Hub River in Balochistan.

These stations will have mobile pass-through scanners, drone surveillance systems with tethered balloons, weapons, bulletproof jackets, helmets, CCTV, OCR, body cams, computers, internet facilities and wireless communication systems. These facilities will help intercept smuggled goods before they reach Punjab and Sindh.

Smuggled items have been significantly damaging the economic activities of both provinces. Punjab contributes 55% to the national GDP, while Sindh’s contribution stands at 30%, with 25% coming from Karachi alone, according to senior government officials.

Customs officials will be stationed at all points along the Indus River crossings and 14 points in Balochistan. These officials will be supported by a modern security apparatus comprising serving and retired personnel from law enforcement agencies (LEAs). “The country shares a 2,600 km border with Afghanistan, 900 km border with Iran, and 1,050 km coastal belt. Systems are already in place to check smuggling at these borders, but once smuggled goods enter the country, the authorities will intercept them by setting up additional checkpoints at small, medium, and large crossing points along the Indus River and in Balochistan. Some checkpoints already exist but will be strengthened, and new ones will also be installed,” FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial confirmed to The News.

When asked if these checkpoints would disrupt legitimate inter-provincial trade, the FBR chairman assured that legal trade would not be affected. Authorities at the checkpoints would act based on vehicle profiling to identify those transporting smuggled goods.

Officials said that with a capital expenditure of Rs35 billion and operational expenses of Rs11 billion, the checkpoints on the Indus could foster a sense of deprivation among Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan populations. They fear smuggled goods may remain within these provinces, while traders conducting legitimate business with Punjab and Sindh may face additional hurdles at the Indus crossings.