By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement), Lahore, has set a new benchmark in anti-smuggling enforcement, registering an unprecedented surge in both seizure value and revenue generation under the leadership of Collector Muhammad Saeed Watto, according to official performance data for 2025.
The month-wise anti-smuggling statistics reveal that Customs Enforcement Lahore seized smuggled goods worth Rs 18.25 billion during 2025, a dramatic increase compared to Rs 5.14 billion in 2024, reflecting a more than threefold rise in seizure value. This remarkable growth has been achieved despite only a marginal increase in the number of seizures, which stood at 331 in 2025 compared to 325 in 2024, highlighting a decisive shift towards high-impact, value-based enforcement.
Several months recorded exceptionally high recoveries, with December 2025 alone accounting for seizures valued at over Rs 6.83 billion, followed by January with Rs 3.78 billion and November exceeding Rs 1.91 billion. Officials said these figures reflect successful targeting of organized and high-value smuggling networks rather than isolated low-value cases.
The seized items included a wide range of non-duty-paid and smuggled goods, such as smuggled vehicles, acetate tow, cigarette paper, cigarettes, copper, silver, BOPP film, tyres, and other commercial consignments that pose a serious threat to national revenue and domestic industry.
In addition to the sharp rise in seizure value, the collectorate also posted record growth in revenue realization during the same period. Official revenue data shows that Customs Enforcement Lahore generated Rs 2.75 billion in 2025, compared to Rs 1.09 billion in 2024, registering an overall 153 percent increase year-on-year.
The revenue breakdown indicates that ASO-related receipts rose by 199 percent, increasing from Rs 139.09 million in 2024 to Rs 416.04 million in 2025, while auction proceeds surged by 146 percent, climbing from Rs 948.23 million to Rs 2.33 billion. These figures underline improved recovery mechanisms and more effective disposal of seized goods.
Sources within Customs said that the leadership of Muhammad Saeed Watto emphasized intelligence-led operations, strict monitoring, enhanced inter-agency coordination and transparent auction processes, enabling enforcement teams to disrupt smuggling supply chains and convert enforcement actions into tangible revenue gains for the national exchequer.
Trade and industry stakeholders have welcomed the crackdown, noting that curbing high-value smuggling has helped protect local manufacturing sectors and ensured a more level playing field for compliant businesses.
The combined performance in seizure value and revenue generation positions Customs Enforcement Lahore as one of the most effective enforcement formations in the country, marking 2025 as a landmark year for the department and setting a new standard for value-driven customs enforcement.
