Rs 250 m Cigarettes Vanish From FBR Godowns, Eight Booked
FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad names five FBR employees and three Paramount Company office-bearers in a case involving 2,828 missing cigarette cartons from warehouses in Swabi and Mardan; investigators allege misappropriation caused an estimated Rs250 million loss to the exchequer.
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency’s Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad has registered a criminal case against five Federal Board of Revenue officials and three office-bearers of a private tobacco company over the alleged disappearance and misappropriation of 2,828 cartons of confiscated cigarettes from FBR warehouses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, involving an estimated loss of Rs250 million to the national exchequer.
According to FIR No. 49/2026, registered on September 21, the case follows FIA Enquiry No. RE-333/2025 and invokes Sections 409 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
The FIR names FBR Inspector Kamran, Inspector Naveed, driver Aftab Hussain, security guard Qazi Ammad and Naib Qasid Sajjad Ali. Three office-bearers associated with Paramount Company — Director Saqib Ali Khan, Director Fida and Manager Owais Qureshi — have also been nominated. These are allegations contained in the FIR and remain subject to investigation and judicial determination.
According to the FIA’s account, the matter dates back to February 14, 2024, when FBR Inspector Kamran intercepted six vehicles carrying 1,262 cartons of Kissan-brand cigarettes at Chota Lahore in Swabi district. The cigarettes were confiscated and shifted to an FBR warehouse at Shahbaz Garhi, Mardan.
908 Cartons Reportedly Missing During Warehouse Transfer
The FIR states that on April 22, 2024, Inspectors Kamran and Naveed arranged the transfer of 1,202 cartons from the detained stock to another FBR warehouse at Qasim Pulla in Swabi through four Hino trucks. On arrival, however, 908 cartons were allegedly found missing.
According to the document, 907 cartons were subsequently reported recovered from Doulatabad Mankai, Swabi, on May 2, 2024 and moved to the Qasim Pulla warehouse. The FIR alleges that corresponding entries for the recovered or missing stock were not properly recorded.
The affair took a larger turn almost a year later. During an inspection of the Qasim Pulla warehouse on May 7, 2025, FBR Inspector Shadman Khan allegedly discovered that a total of 2,828 cartons, including the 907 cartons earlier reported as recovered, were missing.
The FIA says its investigation subsequently identified serious weaknesses in the management and documentation of the warehouses. According to the FIR, there was no official logbook for either warehouse, no stock register, no CCTV surveillance, no documented handling or taking-over protocols, no record of mobile squad movements and no written directions covering movement of the seized stock between warehouses.
The agency further alleged that despite the disappearance of 908 cartons being detected on April 22, 2024, effective action was not taken at that stage and the matter was not reported to police.
The FIR also records the account of Paramount Company’s manager concerning the confiscated cigarettes and subsequent handling of the company’s stock. Investigators are examining the respective roles of both public officials and private individuals and whether there was any coordinated wrongdoing.
Senate Had Earlier Taken Up Disappearance of 2,828 Cartons
The case had already attracted parliamentary scrutiny months before registration of the latest FIR. In March, a Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control subcommittee examined the disappearance of the same 2,828 cartons and called for responsibility to be fixed. The Senate’s official account said 10 BS-16 and BS-17 officers had been suspended as part of disciplinary action and that records of FBR warehouses were also sought.
On March 12, the Senate subcommittee was told that the matter should be handed over to the FIA for further investigation and legal action. In April, the parliamentary panel directed the FIA to broaden its investigation, including recording statements of relevant senior FBR officers. At that stage, the committee was informed that statements of 20 officers and officials had already been recorded and that 1,262 cartons were linked to Paramount Tobacco Company.
The case continued to remain under parliamentary scrutiny as recently as August, when the Senate committee again discussed the inquiry into the 2,828 cartons valued at approximately Rs250 million and called for clear FBR procedures for registering and managing seized goods.
FIA Investigation to Determine Roles of Other Officials
According to the newly registered FIR, the FIA alleges that the nominated FBR employees misused their official positions, failed to perform their lawful duties and facilitated or contributed to the loss or disappearance of government case property in alleged connivance with private individuals.
The agency has estimated the resulting loss at approximately Rs250 million.
The FIR also leaves the investigation open-ended. It specifically states that the role of other FBR officers and officials, including deputy commissioners, as well as any additional private individuals found involved, will be determined during further investigation.
The registration of the FIR marks a significant escalation in a case that began with the disappearance of confiscated cigarette stock and subsequently triggered FBR internal proceedings, police involvement, repeated Senate scrutiny and an FIA investigation.
