MIRPUR (Kashmir English): Mirpur and Bhimber authorities have banned the transportation of cigarettes and other tobacco products during the Eid holidays to curb tax evasion.
As per details, the police department learned that smugglers involved in the illegal cigarette trade were planning to smuggle and transport cigarettes to Punjab during the Eid holidays.
Considering the concerns raised by the Inland Revenue Department, Mirpur and Bhimber Deputy Commissioner, in spertate orders, imposed a ban under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code on Saturday.
The ban will remain enforced from March 31 to April 2 to prevent any unlawful activities.
According to the order, “No individual, factory owner, or driver shall transport or sell cigarettes in sealed cartons or open packs outside the territorial limits of Mirpur or Bhimber districts during the Eid holidays.”
The directives also prohibited bringing raw materials for tobacco products into these districts without proper tax documentation.
Mirpur DC Yasir Riaz and Bhimber DC Arshad Mahmood Jarral warned that during the Eid holidays, when the Inland Revenue staff would be off duty, there was a heightened risk of illegal cigarette transportation.
The orders warned that anyone found violating the ban would face legal action under Section 188 of the Azad Penal Code.
Earlier this month, the AJK Inland Revenue and Excise Department seized non-duty paid cigarettes worth millions of rupees from a well-known cigarette factory in Bhimber.
