Customs and black market

Sir: The customs authorities have threatened to take action against businessmen who misuse duty exemptions on import. But the custom officials have failed to mention the action they would take against their own colleagues, without whose compliance and connivance the businessmen could not get illegal tax exemptions.
The great Kaarkhano market in Peshawar has been developed into a black market with the help of these corrupt customs officials. The market started out as a couple of tents in the 1980s, and later transited from wooden shacks to high rise plazas. For example, a new plaza, called Haroon Plaza, was a bunch of wooden shacks initially in 2009 but in a matter of years it has become one of the most expensive plazas of the market. This plaza is considered a hub of smuggled Chinese cloth. As a common citizen I see trucks unloading every day huge quantities of Chinese cloth, which are then smuggled to other parts of the country in taxis, buses, wagons and even by individuals on bikes.
Ironically, the customs check point is located hardly 150 meters away from the plaza on the main road, but no one takes action against them. Instead, these customs officials can be seen taking money from the buses, wagons, taxis and bikes carrying the smuggled goods. Many a times I have witnessed children taking this money in behalf of the customs officials.
Therefore I believe that unless the corrupt and incompetent customs officials are changed, we can hardly hope for any improvement in the performance of the customs authorities in Pakistan.
I suggest the customs authorities first clean up their own house before taking action against businessmen.
Shahryar Khan Baseer
Peshawar