KARACHI: Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) team deputed at Jinnah International Airport has seized a huge quantity of 168 iPhones worth Rs130 million. The iPhones were being smuggled in by passengers arriving from Sharjah via Air Arabia.
Sources told Customs Today that the seizures were made after credible information was received through Director General Customs Intelligence Faiz Chadhar to Director I&I Engineer Habib, Additional Afzal Wattoo, Deputy Directors Wasif Malik and Inamullah Wazir.
On the directives of Assistant Director Saud Hasan, Superintendent Irshad Shah surveillance was mounted by Customs Intelligence, Karachi and the iPhones were recovered from passengers after they had cleared from all checks and had come out of International Arrival.
FIR is being lodged against the passengers and others involved in this attempt of smuggling through airport.
This is the latest in a series of seizures made by Customs Intelligence Karachi in recent weeks. The entire anti-smuggling and anti-money laundering operation is being carried out under the directives and supervision of COAS General Asim Munir.
In a separate incident, Customs personnel were attacked by Afghan suspects while conducting a raid on non-local clothing traders on Tariq Road.
According to sources, Customs had been closely monitoring the traders for a week. When Customs officials arrived last night, they were attacked.
As a result of the sudden attack, the Customs staff fled in panic and some took refuge inside the Rabi Center, where they were locked in by Afghan suspects.
Trapped Customs personnel sent WhatsApp messages in distress, pleading for rescue. However, those who escaped from the scene were the officers who later contacted the police to file an FIR after 4-5 hours.
In another raid, Customs officials seized smuggled goods worth millions, including cigarettes, dry milk, plastic granules, and other items from a warehouse on 100-foot road in Yusuf Goth.
This raid was carried out with the leadership of Arshad Ali Shah along with Rangers. 27 trucks load of miscellaneous goods were seized.
Customs Enforcement and I&I Karachi ‘s warehouses are filled with seized goods.
Collector Enforcement Basit abbasi, Additional Collector Amanullah Tarin, Assistant Collector Aman Saddiq, In-Charge ASO Azhar Malik have also delivered exemplary performance in leading these anti-smuggling operations.
Customs Enforcement and I&I Karachi ‘s warehouses are filled with seized goods, demonstrating the effectiveness of their operations.
