JHELUM: Illegally seized imported cigarettes worth approximately Rs30 million were destroyed in Jhelum under the supervision of Chief Commissioner RTO Rawalpindi Farhat Qayyum.

According to officials, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has implemented a track and trace system in key sectors, including cigarettes, cement, fertilizers and sugar, to strengthen documentation and curb tax evasion.

To enforce compliance, the FBR established an Inland Revenue Enforcement Network with dedicated field teams. These teams conduct inspections and confiscate cigarettes that either lack track and trace stamps or are illegally imported. Seized products are documented and later destroyed to prevent re-entry into the market.

Officials said that within one year, the estimated value of confiscated imported cigarettes in the RTO Rawalpindi zone reached nearly Rs30 million.

The destruction of the seized cigarettes was carried out at Chak Bahram.

Among those present on the occasion were FBR Commissioner Jhelum Zone Asad Bilal Jahangir, Deputy Commissioner Headquarters Dr Hasnain, Assistant Commissioner Osama Shaukat, Assistant Commissioner Aiman Habib, Excise Inspector Asad Haroon, Chaudhry Shafqat Hussain and Mirza Nawaz.

Authorities said the operation reflects ongoing efforts to combat smuggling and ensure implementation of tax documentation measures.