TORKHAM: Collectorate of officials have foiled two smuggling bids of foreign currency at Torkham border and seized an amount of $40,000 from two passengers traveling to Afghanistan during the last five days.
Sources told Customs Today that on the instructions of Chief Collector Saeed Akram, customs anti-smuggling squads carrying out strict vigilance on specific information on the smuggling of foreign currency through borders.
During the last five days, the department made two seizures totaling $40,000 – $20,000 each from two passengers during the body search and luggage scanning at the Torkham border crossing point.
As per details, the Customs staff of Enforcement intercepted an Afghani passenger namely Aqdas Arial, daughter of Gul Muhammad having Passport No. P00149377.
During the body search, the Customs officials recovered US$ 20000 from her shoulder bag. Similarly, on November 12, the Customs staff of Enforcement had intercepted a Pakistani passenger namely Azhar Akbar, son of Gul Taj Khan, bearing Passport No. WM1334701.
During body search and scanning of the passenger’s shoes, the officials recovered two plastic-wrapped packets in the shoe soles. Further unwrapping of the packets led to the recovery of US$10,000 in each packet. Following the seizure of the foreign currency, the Customs department is taking further necessary action as per the Customs Act, 1969.
The crackdown on foreign currency smugglers is part of the government’s efforts to discourage illegal channels of transactions which caused shortage of dollars in local market ultimately depreciating national currency and putting burden on the national economy.
