MULTAN: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement & Compliance (E&C) Multan has seized huge quantity of betel nuts under the garb of coal from Dera Ghazi Khan region. The value of the seized betel nuts was almost Rs.4 million.
According to details, Collector MCC Enforcement & Compliance Muneeza Majeed received reliable information that huge quantity of contraband items will be smuggled through Balouchistan Punjab Borde . The Collector alerted the anti-smuggling squad Dera Ghazi Khan by directing them to recover foreign origin betel nuts.
Anti-Smuggling Organization Dera Ghazi Khan made special joint team for taking action against smuggled goods. Following the directions of Collector, ASO squad started patrolling of suspected routes and recovered huge quantity of betel nuts loaded on the trailer.
Anti-Smuggling Organization teams detected crushed betel nuts which were and kept secretly under the garb of coal to dodge Customs. Customs team’s detained smuggled Indian origin crushed betel nuts after examination. The origin of recovered contraband items was India and they were smuggled through Afghanistan. Betel nuts were packed in the 241 sacks and net weight of seized betel nuts was almost 7040 Kilograms in weight. Customs staff also called local Police for their assistance during crackdown to avoid any retaliation.
During preliminary investigation of Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization found that said betel nuts were smuggled through clandestine routes and smugglers were trying to supply in the local markets. Customs Anti-Smuggling teams seized the entire betel nuts and shifted the betel nuts to Customs State Warehouse.
Customs seized the betel nuts under Customs act 1969 and further investigations regarding the betel nuts were still under process.
