It may be noted that Pakistan Customs (Operations wing) is following an offensive strategy against smuggling of currency across Pakistan's borders, in view of its enormous implications for the economy of Pakistan, such as promoting money-laundering, terror-financing, corruption, etc.
In continuation of this counter-smuggling strategy, Pakistan Customs has now made dedicated teams at the Land Border Customs stations to improve interdiction of cash smuggling and to unearth Terror-Financing (TF) linkages through improved inter-agency cooperation.
An Office Order No 2/2019 was issued on August 3, 2019, whereby teams, comprising officials from the relevant Preventive Collectorates and the regional Directorates of Intelligence & Investigations - Customs have been constituted at seven border crossing points including Wagha border.
Further, as per the decision made by the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Division, other LEAs, such as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Provincial Counter-Terrorism Departments (CTDs) and Frontier Corps KP and Balochistan would also nominate a representative of their departments in the joint team for the aforesaid seven border points. The team is tasked with monitoring the movement of persons across the border-points, detect and investigate the cases of illicit movement of currency, especially with respect to terror-financing aspect. This initiative would synergize the efforts of the LEAs working in anti-money laundering and Counter Terror Financing area and improve information sharing mechanism, as well as contribute towards effective investigation and prosecution of currency smuggling cases.