KARACHI: Upon receipt of credible information, the Intelligence Team of Customs Enforcement, Karachi conducted surveillance on warehouses located at Aram Bagh market, Lucknow, and Al-Jadeed Market Saddar, Karachi, where a huge quantity of foreign origin smuggled cloth worth Rs 20million was dumped.
According to a statement, the Customs’ Team was constituted under the supervision of Deputy Collector Customs, ASO, Collectorate of Customs, Enforcement, Karachi to carry out the joint operation at the identified places along with other law enforcement agencies i.e Sindh Police and Rangers.
As soon as the raiding team reached the target location, a violent mob comprising of more than a hundred people attacked the raiding party and official vehicles with sticks and stones, causing damage to the government vehicles. A few gunshots were also fired by the miscreants. The crowd was dispersed after the police resorted to aerial firing. No one was injured during the operation except 02 Customs Sepoys who sustained minor injuries due to stones and sticks.
The ASO team succeeded in recovering a sizable quantity of smuggled cloth worth more than Rs. 20 million from these Warehouses, which as taken to ASO headquarters for detailed examination. FIR has been registered against the miscreants in Police Station, Aram Bagh and also in the Custom Court. The culprits will be arrested and more information about the smuggled goods will be collected from the accused during the investigation.
Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin has commended the raiding party for their successful operation against smugglers and appreciated FBR in its drive against tax evasion. Likewise, Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, Chairman FBR/Secretary Revenue Division, has lauded the bravery and professional conduct during this sensitive operation and announced cash awards and recognition certificates for the raiding team. He reaffirmed that FBR was following a zero-tolerance policy against smuggling and these operations will continue across the country to eliminate this menace from Pakistan.
