A shocking case of insider theft has emerged as the Senate Standing Committee on Interior uncovered that 2,828 cartons of seized cigarettes worth Rs. 250 million mysteriously disappeared from Federal Board of Revenue warehouses, raising serious questions about the agency’s handling of confiscated goods.
FBR officials told the panel that six trucks carrying 1,262 cartons of cigarettes were seized in Swabi on January 14, 2024. The committee questioned why the seized goods were later shifted to two separate warehouses. Officials explained the goods were moved due to space constraints, four trucks to one location and two to another.
However, senators expressed alarm that the cigarettes were transferred from a monitored facility to a warehouse lacking CCTV surveillance. Officials admitted the disappearance of the cartons was only discovered on May 7, 2025, while an FIR was registered on May 21, 2025, leaving a critical gap of over 16 months between the seizure and discovery of theft.
The brazen theft prompted disciplinary action. The committee was informed that three FBR officers have been dismissed and eight others transferred. None of the dismissed officials is currently in custody, raising concerns about accountability and investigation progress.
Most alarmingly, the panel noted that a further 20 cartons were reportedly stolen in January 2026, despite the introduction of new SOPs following the earlier incident, suggesting systematic failures in security protocols.
Concerns were raised about anomalies in the inquiry report, particularly how lower-grade staff could have executed the theft despite seals, locks, and ceilings being found intact. This has fueled suspicions of involvement by higher-ranking officials or organized criminal networks.
The committee was told that a High Court had ordered a fresh inquiry into the case. Following the court’s directives, the seized trucks were released after fines were imposed, while the cigarettes remained in official custody, a custody that clearly proved inadequate.
The committee, terming the matter serious, directed FBR to submit complete case details, records of all involved officers, and a 10-year enforcement record within two days, while mandating the FBR Chairman’s attendance at the next session.
