FBR steps up anti-smuggling drive in Balochistan

January 12, 2026 (MLN): The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) directed intensified anti-smuggling operations and faster resolution of traders’ issues during a two-day inspection of Pakistan Customs formations in Balochistan to curb illicit trade and support legitimate imports and exports.

Syed Shakeel Shah, Member (Customs Operations), FBR, along with Basit Maqsood Abbasi, Chief Collector of Customs Enforcement Islamabad, visited Customs House Quetta on January 8–9.

They reviewed enforcement performance, revenue outcomes, and border management challenges in a key trade corridor.

The visit took place amid a renewed focus on plugging revenue leakages and strengthening customs controls along the western borders.

During the briefings, sustained intelligence-based operations, recoveries from anti-smuggling drives, and enforcement actions across Quetta, Taftan, and Gaddani jurisdictions were highlighted, according to the press release.

Trade dynamics in Balochistan, including operational hurdles faced by importers and exporters operating through border points with Iran and Afghanistan, were also discussed.

A delegation of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry raised trade-related concerns, following which FBR leadership issued on-the-spot directions for their resolution, signaling an effort to balance enforcement with trade facilitation.

Customs said stronger enforcement has contributed to revenue gains while discouraging smuggling that distorts domestic markets and undermines tax collection.

The visit also included the inauguration of two new Customs Enforcement sections in Quetta, aimed at strengthening on-ground monitoring and operational capacity. Planted saplings at Customs House Quetta as part of an environmental initiative.

In a separate engagement, the FBR delegation met the Corps Commander Quetta and held discussions with senior officials from the Frontier Corps (North and South), Pakistan Coast Guards, and other law enforcement agencies.

Talks focused on inter-agency coordination, border management, and joint efforts against smuggling networks operating along coastal and land borders.

Concluding the visit, FBR leadership reviewed the performance of Pakistan Customs in Balochistan, with particular emphasis on anti-smuggling outcomes and revenue collection.

The review came as the government relies on tighter customs enforcement to support fiscal consolidation and protect formal trade channels.

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