KARACHI: The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Anti Smuggling Organization (ASO) has launched a grand crackdown against the Indian Direct-To-Home (DTH) service across Sindh.
The officers of the Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Anti Smuggling Organization (ASO) along with the team of Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) conducted raids at the Saddar Electronic Market and Memon Goth.
During the raid in Saddar Electronic Market, 3,600 MLBs were seized along with decoders and receivers of Sky and TATA brands in a huge quantity. In the second raid conducted at Memon Goth, dishes and antennas used to show Indian channels were also captured and two suspects were arrested.
Around three million Indian DTH decoders are being sold in the country. We not only want this sale stopped but will also want to trace the money trail to determine the mode of payments made to Indian dealers selling these decoders to Pakistanis, the source said.
The source informed that last Friday a delegation of PEMRA held a daylong meeting with the Director Anti Smuggling Organization (ASO) Asif Marghoob Siddique and discussed regarding the crackdown against the Indian Direct-To-Home (DTH) service being sold in the different markets across the Sindh.
The crackdowns against the Indian Direct-To-Home (DTH) service in Hyderabad and Sukkur have also been launched. Senior officers of the Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Anti Smuggling Organization (ASO) are leading the crackdowns.
PEMRA Regional office Sindh has sent several teams simultaneously to inspect cable TV and FM radio licensees under its jurisdiction including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas and Khairpur to crack down against the violators.
Earlier the officers of the Anti Smuggling Organization (ASO) along with the team of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) raided various cable TV operators’ offices in different parts and recovered 64 Receivers, Two dish TV Decoders, 5 C-line Receivers, 6 Transmitter, 15 CPU, 2 Dish TV Cards and 5 DVDs being used for distributing proscribed channels.