The Excise and Taxation (E&T) Department of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), in collaboration with the police, has intensified crackdown operations on tax evasion within the cigarette industry in the region.
Raids were conducted on warehouses and various offices of several tobacco companies, including National Tobacco Company, Walton Tobacco Company, Chinar Tobacco Company, and Warna Tobacco Company, located in Mirpur, Bhimber, and Barnala.
During one raid at a warehouse of Watan Tobacco Company supervised by DSP HQ Naseer Ahmed and IRO Inland Muhammad Shakeel, authorities confiscated significant amounts of raw materials for cigarettes, including thousands of bags of raw tobacco, cartons of filter paper, and various cigarette brands. The warehouse was subsequently sealed, and legal procedures were initiated against the owner and warehouse manager.
In another operation, authorities raided the warehouse of National Tobacco Company in Bhimber and seized a large quantity of illegal cigarettes and raw tobacco.
Similarly, during a raid on Walton Tobacco Company in Barnala, authorities seized illegal cigarettes, bags of tobacco, and cigarette paper rolls.
In a separate raid at a house rented by the National Tobacco Company, authorities confiscated various materials used in cigarette production, including filter rods, cigarette paper, and raw tobacco.
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Another raid at Chinar Tobacco Company in Barnala resulted in the confiscation of a significant amount of tobacco.
Currently, AJK tax authorities estimate significant losses in revenue annually due to tax evasion within the cigarette sector. These crackdown operations aim to address this issue and ensure compliance with tax regulations.