KARACHI: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Fast Filling Station located on Hub River Road, Northern Bypass, Karachi for smuggling POL products.
Sources told Customs Today that Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi received credible information that several individuals were actively engaged in smuggling and illegal trading of Iranian diesel.
These smugglers had established a shop at the filling station, using it as a hub for storing and distributing their illicit petroleum products within the city.
A swift response team, led by Deputy Collector Raza Naqvi, SPS Muhammad Habib Mayo, Muhammad Saqlain, and preventive Officer Muhammad Zubair, was assembled to thwart the smuggling attempt. Upon arriving at the scene, the customs officials confronted Muhammad Mushtaq, who posed as head cashier. The team explained their purpose, but this provoked a hostile reaction from the individuals transferring smuggled diesel from Mazda trucks into drums and then into underground tanks.
A mob armed with sticks and firearms gathered at the filling station, verbally attacking the customs officials and even resorting to physical altercations.
Despite their best efforts, the outnumbered customs team couldn’t prevent the miscreants from making off with four Mazda Trucks loaded with smuggled diesel.
During a thorough search, the authorities detected fake seals, receipts, and records related to the buying and selling of petroleum products. Further investigation revealed that the owners of Fast Filling Station were deeply involved in the illicit trade of non-duty paid/smuggled petroleum products. The incriminating receipts traced back to illegal petroleum dealers in Balochistan who had been selling Iranian origin petroleum products.
The customs officials seized a total of 55,100 liters of illegal diesel from the underground tanks. The crackdown sends a strong message that smuggling activities will not go unchecked, and those involved will face the full force of the law.
An FIR is registered and further investigations are still underway till the filing of this report.
