A Senate sub committee has ordered an investigation into the theft of cigarette cartons worth around Rs250 million from Federal Board of Revenue warehouses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The directive came during a meeting of the sub committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control held on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Senator Saifullah Abro and focused on the reported disappearance of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from FBR godowns in Swabi and Mardan.
According to Business Recorder, the committee asked the Federal Board of Revenue, the Federal Investigation Agency and regional police to work closely and complete the investigation as soon as possible. Officials were also asked to use geo fencing technology in the area to help identify people who may have been involved in the incident.
During the meeting, Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood voiced concern that the blame for the theft appeared to be falling mainly on lower level staff. He said that if senior officers were involved, they should also be held responsible.
The senator asked officials to present video footage of the warehouses at the next meeting. He also called for an examination of the assets of staff posted at the facility. According to him, investigators should also try to identify who ultimately benefited from the missing goods, including any industrialists who may have gained from the incident.
FIA officials told the committee that the case was referred to the agency by regional police through the Ministry of Interior. They said the alleged embezzlement involved goods valued at about Rs250 million.
Officials also highlighted several problems discovered during the inquiry. They said the warehouse had no designated officer in charge and no proper stock register or logbook was being maintained. There was also no duty roster for staff working at the site.
The facility lacked CCTV cameras and clear procedures for moving seized goods between warehouses. Investigators also found no gate pass records for drivers and no entry of the mobile squad in the movement register.
Authorities told the panel that statements from several officers posted at the warehouse had already been recorded and the investigation was continuing.
Separately, Senator Talha raised questions about more than half a ton of gold seized by Pakistan Customs between June 2011 and 2025. Customs officials said all confiscated gold is handed over to the State Bank of Pakistan, which melts the metal and deposits its value into the government treasury.
Officials also explained that some confiscated items, including cigarettes and betel nut, cannot be auctioned and must be destroyed. Because of this, such goods can be more vulnerable to theft if strict controls are not in place.
The committee directed Pakistan Customs to submit complete details of confiscated items since 2012, including gold, silver, electronics, cigarettes and narcotics, within 10 days.
