MIANWALI: The Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) Mianwali has seized imported velvets worth Rs04million involving Customs Duty and taxes of Rs556109. The ASO team also impounded a Mazda mini truck valued Rs 900000 during a raid.
Sources told Customs Today that Additional Collector Muhammad Saeed Asad received a tip-off regarding the smuggling. He constituted an ASO team comprising Superintendent Chaudhary Sardar Muhammad, Muhammad Umar Bhatti and Inspector Azhar Hussain Jafari, Driver Riasat Hussain, Sepoys Faiz Ahmad, Sher Ahmad and Muhammad Abdullah.
The team intercepted a Mazda mini truck with registration No: ML-478 under Section (U/S), 157 of the Customs Act-1969 near Adda Jahan, district Bhakkar. The ASO team recovered 139 rolls (2595-kg) Chinese made velvets.
The officials asked the driver to produce documents of imported goods. The driver, identified as Muhammad Yaqoob, a resident of Kot Addu, district Muzaffargarh, said goods were uploaded from Lahore truck stand. He also mentioned the names of owners Muhammad Afzal Toor, Noman Shahzad and Rana Abdul Hameed but could not show the documents.
After his failure, the ASO team seized goods and forwarded the case to Customs Adjudication for further proceedings. Collector Zulfiqar Chaudhary has appreciated the performance of the ASO team which has foiled various smuggled bids in the region.
