ISLAMABAD – The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to take immediate measures to prevent fraudulent cargo clearances at airports by ensuring that international airlines file their cargo manifests directly through the Customs WeBOC system.
The directive follows an FTO investigation which found that loopholes in the existing process have allowed criminal networks to manipulate data and illegally clear cargo. The FTO noted that airports are highly sensitive areas where unauthorized clearance of goods poses significant risks to cargo security as well as government revenues.
To strengthen oversight and transparency, the FTO recommended that the FBR implement several urgent reforms. These include retrieving manifests and off-load data directly from international airlines for independent verification, and flagging any consignments that are off-loaded but cleared without the required Goods Declaration (GD) as potentially unauthorized or fraudulent.
The FTO also emphasized the importance of fully integrating all cargo handling systems with Customs’ WeBOC platform, reducing reliance on intermediaries and minimizing opportunities for tampering or illicit activity.
These directions form part of broader efforts to curb fraud in the cargo sector and reinforce accountability within the clearance process.
