HYDERABAD: Keeping in line with the specific direction of Abdul Rasheed Shaikh, Director-General, Customs Intelligence & Investigation, Islamabad to focus/locate dumping sites and godowns of contraband goods, Dr. Sadiqullah Khan, Director, Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation, Hyderabad directed the staff of ASO Wing Hyderabad to keep extra vigilance against the organized smuggling/dumping of contraband items. The Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) Wing of the Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation Hyderabad headed by Jamshed Ali Talpur, Additional Director, and Syed Muhammad Raza Naqvi, Deputy Director was instructed to mounted active surveillance on dumping places of contraband goods.
Consequently, pursing a reliable source that huge quantity of betel nuts and Indian gutka were dumped in two godowns namely Goth Kando Khan Mehar and Yousaf Mangrio Goth in the district Umerkot, the team of ASO wing under the supervision of Deputy Director Syed Muhammad Raza Naqvi with the assistance of Pakistan Rangers and Sindh Police proceeded towards district Umerkot and mounted active surveillance on the intervening night of 6/7 October, 2020. The team raided the said godowns at around 3 am and recovered huge quantity of contraband goods. The above team took over the possession of the recovered contraband goods and shifted these to the official premises of the Directorate of Customs I&I Hyderabad.
The process of detailed examination of the recovered contraband goods was carried out, which resulted into recovery of 56.2 metric ton of foreign origin smuggled betel nuts, 48,500 packs of Indian origin gutkha (assorted brands,) 1500 pieces small tin of tobacco pan masala (each 100kg) and 10 cartons of smuggled UAE origin cigarettes.
The recovered goods are harzardous to health and banned items which were meant to be sold in the retail markets of the entire province of Sindh. The current market value of the recovered smuggled contraband goods is approximately Rs158.31 million. The Director appreciated the efforts of ASO wing and the Direcorate who are working tirelessly day & night.
Customs I&I started efforts to arrest the culprits and accomplices after registering FIR.
