HYDERABAD: The Customs Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO), in a joint operation with Rangers, claimed to have seized 808 cartons of smuggled cigarettes and 900 packets of Indian gutka worth Rs 10.527 million, involving duty and taxes to the tune of Rs 14.338 million.
Sources told Customs Today that Hyderabad Collector Agha Shahid Majeed received information regarding the existence of a huge quantity of non-duty paid cigarettes and Indian origin gutkha. He immediately constituted a team under the supervision of Additional Collector Rehmatullah Vistro and Additional Collector Omer Shafiq to confiscate the smuggled items.
The team comprising Deputy Collector Nafees Ahmed Khan, Superintendent Saleem Channa, Deputy Superintendent Anwar Ahmed Siddiqui, Deputy Superintendent Sikander Panhwar, Inspector Khair Muhammad Pathan, Inspector Shafi Muhammad Jamali, Inspector Waqar Ahmed Baig, Inspector Momin Shah, Inspector Nazim Ali, Inspector Mushtaq Ali Lakho, Sepoyes Isa Usman Junejo and driver Nisar Ahemdani participated in the raid.
The team along with Rangers raided a go-down owned by Adul Hai alias Toor Jan near Pathan Goth Katchi Abadi, Jamshoro Road, Hyderabad, and recovered the said items. The officials also conducted a search operation to arrest the accused person but they could not find anyone, as there was nobody in go-down at the time of the raid. The officials confiscated the items under customs laws.
Officials said that the department was taking measures to curb smuggling of non-duty paid goods, especially smuggling of items, which are injurious to human health.
Tragically, a soldier named Saeed Ahmad Khan who was member of raiding party died of heart attack during the operation.
