ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has been hit by massive import scam as several luxury cars including imported Land Cruisers, were declared cheaper than mobile phones.
In what is being dubbed most shocking financial scandal in Pakistan’s history, Directorate General of Post Clearance Audit uncovered jaw-dropping luxury vehicle import fraud that has cost country over Rs17 billion in lost revenue. This is not just a scam as it’s a well orchestrated machine of corruption, deceit, and money laundering operating under nose of system meant to prevent it.
Investigators were stunned to find that a brand-new 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser, worth over Rs10 million, was cleared at Pakistani ports for just Rs17,635.
If taxed properly, the vehicle alone should have generated over around 40-45 lacs in duties. Instead, the national treasury got almost nothing. And this wasn’t an isolated case.
Between December 2024 and March 2025, 1,335 high-end cars rolled into Pakistan with suspiciously low declared values. The paperwork claimed a combined worth of just Rs670 million, but the actual market value exceeds Rs7.25 billion.
Instead of collecting Rs18.78 billion in duties and taxes, the system received mere Rs1.29 billion. That’s over Rs17 billion vanished, a staggering figure pointing to a system-wide betrayal of public trust.
It was reported that not a single importer could provide valid documentation for foreign exchange transfers. Where did the money go? Investigators suspect the use of hawala and hundi, as notorious illegal money transfer networks often linked to global money laundering rings.
The audit did not just expose customs fraud as it blew lid off a dual-layered financial crime. These importers not only dodged customs duties but also failed to declare the true value of their luxury assets in income tax returns, escaping the tax net entirely.
Officials have now labelled the scheme a highly coordinated criminal enterprise, exploiting digital loopholes in the Faceless Customs Assessment System, possibly with help from insiders.
