A former excise and taxation (E&T) officer and his accomplices were caught by the departmental team in Islamabad red-handed when they were extorting money from some labourers at a checkpost by posing themselves as E&T officers, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

The department also suspended three of its officers namely Altaf Hussain, Zafar Ishaq, both ETOs, and Inspector Arshad Iqbal.   

Quoting its sources, the channel reported that former E&T officer Mushtaq Hussain would pay money to Director Excise Tanveer Abbas Gondal, Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) Attock and the SHO Fateh Jang, who would then order setting up of checkposts at Kohat Road, tehsil Fateh Jang, district Attock. 

After receiving information that a former excise and taxation officer and his accomplices, dressed in department’s uniform, looted people at checkposts, Director General Excise Rizwan Sherwani formed a team under Director Enforcement Sobia Malik.     

Sources further disclosed that the SHO would demand Rs0.5 million in bribe from those taken into custody.

Reporter Usman Javed