ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior has sought a detailed report on confiscated items, including gold, and ordered an investigation into the theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes worth approximately Rs250 million from the warehouses of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Swabi and Mardan.
The sub-committee directed the Pakistan Customs to submit comprehensive details of all confiscated items — including gold, silver, electronics, cigarettes and narcotics — seized since 2012, within 10 days.
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 participants discussed the alleged theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from the FBR warehouses in Swabi and Mardan, which caused a financial loss estimated at Rs250 million.
An FBR member assured the committee that directives issued in the previous meeting would be implemented. He suggested that the case be handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further investigation and legal action.
The FIA officials informed the committee that the case had been referred to the agency by the Regional Police Headquarters through the interior ministry. They said the incident involved embezzlement amounting to approximately Rs250 million.
During the briefing, officials highlighted several serious administrative lapses at the warehouses.
These included the absence of a designated officer in charge, lack of an official logbook or stock register and no duty roster for staff posted at the facility.
Officials further revealed that CCTV cameras were not installed, no standard operating procedures (SOPs) existed for shifting seized items between warehouses, and there was no gate-pass record for drivers or entry of the mobile squad in the movement register.
The FIA informed the committee that statements of several officials posted at the warehouses had been recorded and that the inquiry was ongoing.
Convener Senator Saifullah Abro directed the FBR, FIA and the regional police to ensure close coordination to complete the investigation effectively. He also instructed authorities to conduct geofencing of the incident to help identify individuals involved.
During the meeting, Senator Talha Mahmood also raised concerns over the confiscation of more than half-a-ton of gold by the Pakistan Customs between June 2011 and 2025.
Officials informed the sub-committee that all confiscated gold is handed over to the State Bank of Pakistan, which melts the metal and deposits its equivalent value into the government treasury.
