FIA names 8 over cigarettes worth Rs250 million missing from FBR warehouses

The FIA has named eight people, including five FBR officials and three owners of a private company, in the case of cigarettes worth Rs250 million missing from FBR warehouses. Raids are continuing to arrest them.

The case was registered on the complaint of FIA Assistant Director Muhammad Safeer Ahmed. The accused include Inspector Kamran, Inspector Naveed, a driver, a security guard, a naib qasid, two directors of a private company and its manager.

According to the FIR, 1,262 cartons of cigarettes were seized in Swabi in February 2024 and moved to the FBR warehouse in Mardan. Inspectors Kamran and Naveed later moved 1,202 cartons from Mardan to Swabi. On reaching the Swabi warehouse, 908 cartons were found missing from the trucks.

An inspection found a total of 2,828 cartons missing. The FIR alleges that FBR inspectors and other staff were directly involved in the alleged theft of the cigarettes. It says the accused, in alleged collusion, caused a loss of Rs250 million to the national exchequer.

According to the FIR, no logbook was deliberately prepared at the warehouses and no CCTV cameras were installed. Despite 908 cartons going missing, the FBR neither took action nor informed the police.