A report against customs officers accused of causing losses of 840 billion rupees to the national exchequer has been suppressed. The Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission had identified 28 officers, 40 front men, and smugglers, but no action has been taken even after several months, and the people involved have not been removed from key positions.
According to information obtained by Trade News from sources, a highly important and shocking report issued by the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission against more than 25 customs officers accused of causing losses of over three billion dollars, more than 840 billion rupees, to the national treasury in just one year through smuggling has been suppressed. Despite the completion of investigations last year, these officers have not yet even been charge sheeted.
Sources said the real purpose behind suppressing the report was to protect influential CSS cadre customs officers, while, as in the past, only lower level field staff are being targeted for accountability.
According to reports, smuggling in 2024 caused losses of more than three billion dollars to the national exchequer. Sources said the report was sent to the Prime Minister’s Office on April 3, 2025, and the PM Office directed the FBR to take action and submit the report back. However, more than eight months have passed and no action has been taken against any officer named in the report, not even a departmental charge sheet.
Sources said the Chief Customs Enforcement Office had prepared the report and forwarded the matter to the Member Administration and Member Customs for action against the entire smuggling system, but still no action was taken.
Trade News learned that the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission prepared the report based on verified information from intelligence agencies, and it was then sent to the Prime Minister’s Office through FBR headquarters.
According to the report, a total of 68 people were involved in this organized smuggling network, including 28 customs officers, private front men, and smugglers. The network was active in the illegal movement of mobile phones, electronics, and other valuable goods across border areas, internal routes, and major cities of Pakistan.
The investigation revealed that corruption was not limited to a few individuals but was a highly organized and powerful network that has been active for several years. The report also pointed out that lack of oversight in the customs department, negligence by senior officers, and in some cases deliberate blindness allowed this network to grow stronger.
The Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission divided the responsible officers into three categories to ensure accountability.
The first category included officers directly involved in smuggling or facilitating it. These included Additional Collector Afnan Khan (Peshawar), Wajid Zaman (Islamabad), Shah Faisal (Multan), Assistant Collector Osama Dastgir (Islamabad), Naeem Raza (Sargodha), Superintendent Rana Ghulam Mujtaba Noon (Multan), Irfan Mumtaz (Faisalabad), Inspector Muhammad Sikandar Zaman (Dera Ghazi Khan), Murtaza Mushtaq (Lahore), Liaqat Wasif (Multan), Waqas Laghari (Dera Ghazi Khan), and UDC Abubakar (Gilgit). Sources said UDC Abubakar was caught red handed with more than 210 expensive smuggled mobile phones, and it was recommended that the role of more officers in the concerned collectorate be examined.
The second category included officers who deliberately avoided action against smuggling or indirectly assisted these illegal activities. These included Collector Saud Imran (Multan), Inspector Zia Bhatti (Multan), Mohsin, Khalid Samad, and Arshad in Islamabad, along with constables Jameel, Atiq ur Rehman, Akram, Azmat, and Ishaq.
The third category consisted of senior officers whose weak command and poor supervision allowed smuggling activities to continue unchecked in their areas. This list included Collector Manza Majid (Multan), Syed Imran Sajjad Bukhari, former Collector Muhammad Asif Haroon (Islamabad), Deputy Collector Maryam Haq (Multan and Lahore), Assistant Collector Zaigham (Multan), and Inspector Ali Raza Shah (Islamabad).
The report clearly recommended that immediate departmental inquiries be launched against all these officers, and legal action be taken where evidence was complete. It also called for fundamental reforms in the customs and border control system, along with effective monitoring and institutional accountability.
Sources said that after the report reached the Prime Minister’s Office and high level consultations were held, it was expected that initial disciplinary action would begin within days. However, the highly important and sensitive report was allegedly suppressed.
It is worth noting that many of the senior officers named in the report are still holding sensitive and important positions today, while one senior officer, Jameel Haider, is currently posted in Karachi.
