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  "path": "/news/1989275/senate-body-asks-fia-to-expand-probe-into-cigarette-cartons-theft-from-fbr",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-07T03:34:40.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.dawn.com",
  "tags": [
    "Pakistan",
    "petroleum price increases"
  ],
  "textContent": "ISLAMABAD: A Senate Committee on Monday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to expand and quicken investigation into the theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) godowns in Swabi, Mardan and fix the responsibility for the incident.\n\nMembers of the Committee expressed concern over the seriousness of FBR in addressing the matter. It directed the FIA investigation team to record statements of the regional tax officer, chief commissioner, and member (tobacco) who were in office at the time of the incident.\n\nThe Senate panel also referred to earlier inquiries conducted against the member (tobacco) during his posting in Lahore and urged the FIA to include all relevant FBR officers and officials in the investigation.\n\nIt further recommended scrutiny of the assets of the officers concerned.The FIA team was further directed to visit the godowns where the theft occurred.\n\nThese directions were issued in a meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control held at Parliament House. Senator Saifullah Abro presided over the meeting.\n\nThe sub-committee received a detailed briefing from the FIA investigation team regarding the current status of the inquiry. The committee was informed that statements of 20 relevant officers and officials have so far been recorded. It was further apprised that 1,262 cartons out of the total missing stock belong to the Kissan Tobacco brand of Paramount Tobacco Company, while efforts are underway to determine the ownership of the remaining cartons.\n\nDuring the meeting, a member of the FBR requested that the investigation should also examine the possibility of involvement of a tobacco cartel or any other nexus.\n\nHe said that the tobacco company’s factory along with high-value machinery had been attached and the confiscated cartons were evidence in a tax evasion case. The convener directed the FIA to investigate this aspect as well.\n\nEmphasising the importance of parliamentary oversight, Senator Saifullah Abro stated that Senate Standing Committees serve as the eyes and ears of Parliament, ensuring thorough scrutiny of matters of national importance.\n\nDuring the briefing, the FIA also presented the bank transaction history of the alleged tobacco company. Members of the committee questioned how financial transactions were recorded during 2024–25 if the factory had been sealed since 2024. The convener directed the FIA to re-verify the transaction details.\n\nThe sub-committee was informed that the FBR has devised and implemented SOPs and protocols to ensure the safety and security of its godowns. However, the convenor directed the FIA to expedite completion of the inquiry into the cigarette theft case.\n\nThe sub-committee also urged the FIA to examine the recent petroleum price increases to identify potential beneficiaries who may have gained from higher prices on existing stocks.\n\nThe meeting also discussed several related issues including the use of non-custom-paid vehicles, import of raw materials into tax-exempt areas of erstwhile Fata and Pata and the smuggling of Iranian oil in Balochistan. The sub-committee urged the FBR to strengthen monitoring mechanisms in these regions, observing that such areas have increasingly become hubs of smuggling, negatively impacting the national economy.\n\nThe sub-committee directed the FBR to submit detailed data regarding imports of raw materials into tax-exempt areas, while the FIA was asked to obtain relevant data from the Petroleum Division concerning Iranian oil entering Balochistan.\n\n_Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2026_",
  "title": "Senate body asks FIA to expand probe into cigarette cartons theft from FBR"
}