MULTAN: Collectorate of Customs Preventive Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) has seized huge quantity of illegally imported black pepper worth Rs4.5 million during their action.
Sources told Customs Today that Collector Muhammad Saleem received credible information regarding smuggling of foreign origin black pepper and he directed Assistant Collector Syed Jalal Haider Zaidi to take action against smuggling of black pepper after receiving said information.
Assistant Collector formed special team of Anti-Smuggling Organization which comprised of Inspector Nasir Saeed, Muhammad Umair and others to take action against them. In pursuance of the said information, Anti-smuggling Squad took action against them and raided a goods gowdown near Dera Adda and recovered huge quantity of foreign origin black pepper.
Customs teams recovered almost 148 bags of black pepper and each bag were weighted almost 25 Kilogram. The net weight of the detained black pepper was almost 3700 Kilogram.
The recovered black pepper was Vietnam Origin and it was brought into the country through clandestine routes to in the local markets due to its demand.
The raiding team asked accused them to produce legal documents regarding possession of black pepper, but he failed to provide the same.
Multan customs authorities seized the black pepper and framed a seizure report case against the accused. The net marker value of the seized black pepper is almost Rs.4.5 million and their duty taxes were almost Rs.3 million. Further investigation is still underway.
