Daily Times

KARACHI: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)-Directorate General of Intelligence & Investigation (DG-I&I)-Karachi’s laptop containing important information of tax evaders was allegedly stolen from a locked car, which puts the agency’s security into question.

‘It could be a major blow to the FBR’s wing-DG-I&I -Karachi as the record/data of potential tax evaders’ have been lost’, sources told Daily Times. According to sources, the laptop of DG-I&I’s raid team was stolen on the other day while the team went to the software house for tax inspection.

A team, leading by Deputy Directors Imran Qadeer and Muhammad Arif went to raid the software house located at Shahra-e-Faisal Karachi. Sources informed this scribe that the raiding team reported later to the Directorate about the laptop containing important, details and records of the raids which were made during the last two years by the said officers was stolen from the locked car which was parked outside the premises.

Meanwhile, FBR-DG-I&I, Karachi, has lodged first information report (FIR), and Police registered a case against unidentified accused and have started investigation. Sources said the said officers are really active at the FBR’s wing-DG-I&I -Karachi and they have made as many successful raids unearthing millions of potential tax evasions by doctors, sportsmen, fashion designers, owners of luxury vehicles, professionals, politicians, frequent travelers, and others during the last two years.

‘The stolen data/record consisted of the crucial record of the tax evaders which was gathered during the recent raids on premises of various tax evaders by the said officers’, sources said. It is to be noted that the officers have claimed that record of the cases of both officers was in same laptop.

Earlier this year, the FBR had launched an investigation into matter of tax evasions by high net worth individuals and in this regard the DG -I&I, Karachi conducted several raids/searches while the crucial record of many of them was in the stolen laptop. It is important to mention here that in February 2016, FRB’s wing Directorate of Customs Intelligence & Investigation, Karachi was also robbed by its own staff.

‘Such incidents have raised questions about the security of the intelligence wings of FBR as the agencies despite having adequate powers have been miserably failed to secure its own data and property, which is a serious concern’, sources said. ‘At a time when the DG-I&I-IR has been given special powers by the government to investigate and prosecute offences under Anti Money Laundering (AML) Act, 2010, how can the agency be able to nab serious offenders with this poor security’, sources questioned.