Key Structural Changes in Customs Intelligence:
The Directorate General will be headquartered in Islamabad and will oversee four regional offices in Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, and Quetta. Each regional office will operate under a Director, supported by a team comprising Additional Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and other officials. The Directorate General will directly report to the Member Customs (Operations) at FBR.
The newly outlined territorial jurisdictions include:
- Islamabad: Islamabad Capital Territory and Gilgit-Baltistan.
- Peshawar: The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Lahore: The province of Punjab.
- Karachi: The province of Sindh, including Pakistan Customs Waters.
- Quetta: The province of Balochistan, including Pakistan Customs Waters.
Expanded Functions of Customs Intelligence:
The Directorate General has been entrusted with several critical functions, including:
- Intelligence gathering related to tax and duty evasion, smuggling trends, and illicit trade activities.
- Data analysis through advanced analytics and machine learning to identify fraud patterns.
- Targeted operations to curb organized tax fraud and smuggling, subject to prior or post-facto approval by Member Customs (Operations).
- Collaboration with international and national agencies to address anti-money laundering concerns.
The Directorate also holds authority under Section 26 of the Customs Act, 1969, in matters related to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010.
Focus on Anti-Money Laundering and International Collaboration:
As part of its responsibilities, the Directorate will strengthen its liaison with international agencies and other domestic enforcement bodies. This focus aligns with Pakistan’s commitment to combating financial crimes and fulfilling international obligations under anti-money laundering frameworks.
By streamlining the Directorate General’s operations, the FBR seeks to fortify its intelligence network and ensure swift action against revenue leakages and economic crimes. These updates reflect the government’s intent to modernize customs operations through technology and robust enforcement mechanisms.
