High Import Duties Assure Continuation of Pakistan Tyre Smuggling
Afghanistan has developed a reputation as a centre of heroin smuggling activity; it is less widely known for another illegal cross-border trade – the smuggling of tyres into neighbouring Pakistan. Yet the importation of these sought after items appears to be well worth the effort and expense endured by those in the business, as the average price difference between the cost of a tyre to a smugger and an importer is said to be in the range of Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 (£22.50 to £37.60). Of the Rs3,000 minimum price difference, smugglers expend about Rs1,000 covering transport and bribe costs, leaving a respectable profit at the end.