MULTAN: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement and Compliance (E&C) has seized smuggled goods worth Rs106 million during the last two weeks in anti-smuggling drive.
According to the details, the Collectorate under the supervision of Collector Imran Ahmad Chaudhry has made major seizures of smuggled goods including High-speed Diesel (HSD), betel nuts, tyres, parachute cloth, medical equipment, non-customs-paid vehicles besides narcotics, valuing aggregately Rs106 million.
The market value of the confiscated smuggled goods is estimated to be Rs501 million. The officials said that the Collectorate after anticipating the influx of smuggled goods was establishing new customs offices including check posts/small forts en route from Fort Monroe in the settled area of Muzaffargarh and in Bahawalpur which hitherto did not exist; other such areas and smuggling hotspots were also being identified.
In addition, the Collectorate has also requested for the provision of adequate human resources and financial resources for ensuring a strong presence in the smuggling-prone southern Punjab.
It is pertinent to mention that there was a growing need for enhanced vigilance due to the newly established roads network at Motorways and National Highways and the incessant rise in smuggling due to higher tariffs. The policy of zero-tolerance for smuggling of goods will continue unabated.
