Karachi, July 26, 2025 – Collector Customs (Enforcement), Karachi, Moinuddin Wani, has clearly stated that holding illegal goods is considered smuggling under the law. Speaking to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), he said: “If a trader is found with undeclared or illegally imported items, it falls under smuggling.”
He assured business leaders that their concerns are being heard and Customs will act fairly. “We get daily intelligence reports and must act on solid information. But we don’t want to harass traders. Our goal is to stop smuggling in a clear and transparent way,” he said.
The Customs official also highlighted that smuggling mostly happens at the borders, and better controls at entry points—like other countries—are needed instead of only focusing on city raids.
Wani acknowledged the issues caused by nighttime raids, which often meet resistance and even lead to injuries among Customs officers. He said new digital methods, including Artificial Intelligence, will be used. He also shared that 2–3 digital enforcement centers will soon be opened in Karachi for smarter operations.
He stressed that ongoing discussions between the Customs Department and the business community are important. He proposed monthly meetings at the Customs office with KCCI and other associations to resolve concerns and improve coordination.
Wani said that traders can lodge FIRs if any Customs or enforcement team illegally seizes or steals goods.
Responding to concerns over raids on goods already cleared by law, he said such cases are rare, but efforts will be made to reduce them further. He also addressed city-to-city blame games, such as Lahore blaming Karachi for sending smuggled goods, and vice versa.
KCCI’s Senior Vice President Zia ul Arfeen criticized surprise night raids, saying they damage businesses and cause fear. He urged that raids be done in the presence of shop owners and with proper planning.
Chairman of KCCI’s Customs Subcommittee, Arif Lakhani, supported enforcement but said surprise actions without warning damage business trust. He cited a recent raid involving Customs, Rangers, and Police where only local goods were seized by mistake.
He called for KCCI and other associations to be involved before any raid so only true smuggling cases are targeted and honest traders are protected.