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KOHAT, Nov 15 (APP): Under the direct orders of Deputy Commissioner Kohat, Rahimullah Mehsud, a joint team led by Additional Assistant Commissioner (AAC) Revenue, Naseem Abbas Bangash, swept through several markets on Friday, seizing 393 packets of cigarettes that bore fake or unverified Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) stamps. The surprise operation, carried out alongside local police, aimed to root out illegal, tax-evading tobacco products that threaten both consumer health and government revenue.
The raids, which spanned multiple outlets across the city, resulted in the recovery of the illicit packs from a handful of shops that had been selling the counterfeit brands. Officials said the seized cigarettes were part of a larger network of smuggled and falsely stamped tobacco that has been flooding local markets, a problem that authorities have been battling nationwide.
AAC Bangash took the opportunity to brief traders on how to distinguish genuine FBR stamps from fakes, urging shopkeepers to stock only brands that display the standard, verified markings. He warned that any future violations would attract strict legal action, emphasizing that the administration will not tolerate the sale of substandard or tax-dodging cigarettes.
The district administration pledged that similar operations will continue unabated, aiming to protect consumers from harmful, untaxed products and to bolster the provincial exchequer. By cracking down on counterfeit cigarettes, Kohat joins a broader federal effort to curb the illicit tobacco trade, which has seen nationwide raids confiscating millions of illegal sticks in recent months.
On this occasion, local officials expressed confidence that the combined enforcement and awareness drive will gradually weed out illegal vendors, ensuring that only legitimate, tax-paid cigarettes reach the market and safeguarding public health across the region.