FIA to grill customs officials involved in clearance of expired medicines: Javed Akbar
KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has unearthed a mega scam of the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) in which expired and prohibited medicines worth Rs 80 million were pilfered and were being supplied to open markets.
The Anti-Corruption Circle, FIA-Karachi Additional Director Javed Akbar Riaz received a tip-off that smuggled drugs were being kept in godowns in Karachi for their supply in open market.
In its quick response, the FIA team that included Inspector Ali Hassan Zardari, Sub-inspectors Rahat Khan, Adnan Dilawar, ASI Muhammad Arsalan raided four godowns at Central Mall near Gull Plaza-Karachi and arrested Ghulam Muhammad Alias, Haji Guddu and Adil and recovered huge quantity of expired and prohibited medicines, sources said.
The Anti-Corruption Circle, FIA-Karachi Additional Director Javed Akbar Riaz told Customs Today that these medicines were smuggled from Afghanistan to Quetta then Karachi. Besides, huge quantity of medicine was also cleared from the MCC-Preventive Karachi Airport.
He added that the prohibited and expired medicines could not be cleared without the backing and involvement of customs officers.
“The case is under investigation and the arrested accused persons have disclosed names of their co-accused which would not be disclosed. I have directed the FIA officials to investigate the matter in depth and question the customs officers”, he added.
Stern action would be taken against the customs officers who have facilitated these smugglers in this heinous crime, Javed Akbar Riaz said.
The country of origin of these confiscated medicines is Turkey, United States, Bangkok/Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India and Greece.
An FIR No 41/2015 under section 23, 27, 30 and 33 of Drug Act 1976 r/w section 156 (1)(89) of Customs Act 1969 dated 21.08.2015 has been registered against accused Ghulam Muhammad Alias, Haji Guddu, Muhammad Adil at FIA Anti Corruption Circle, Karachi.
