LAHORE: Collectorate of Customs Preventive anti-smuggling squad foiled a bid to smuggle a huge quantity of betel nuts.
Sources told Customs Today that Additional Collector Tayyaba Kiyani received information that a huge quantity of smuggled betel nuts and Indian gutka would be transported from Okara to Karachi in the garb of transportation of rice.
Pursuant to the aforementioned information, the staff of squad no. 03 held a secret picket at Okara Bypass. On 07.12.2018 at about 03.30 am, a truck no. Tky-094 arrived at the picket point where it was stopped for checking. The search of the truck found that bags of betel nuts and gutka were hidden below rice bags.
Therefore the same was shifted to the State Warehouse Thokar Niaz Baig Lahore and the truck was unloaded there and recovered 64 bags of betel nuts weighing 7869 kilograms and 4 bags of Indian Gutka weighing 300 kilograms under the concealment of 523 bags of the rice.
Recovered Gutka and betel nuts deposited at State Warehouse Shahnoor Studio, whereas the bags of rice and truck deposited at Thokar Niaz Baig Lahore.
Approximate value of the seized betel nuts is Rs 16 million, Indian gutka Rs 6 million while seized truck Rs 2 million. Total value of the case is Rs 24 million.
