ISLAMABAD: The arrest of senior Pakistan Customs officer Dr. Karam Elahi in a case involving the alleged disappearance and replacement of hundreds of kilograms of silver has triggered a wider controversy in Pakistan, with his supporters said that he is an unusually honest government official who came under pressure after taking action against powerful smuggling interests in Balochistan.
Elahi, who served as Collector of Customs Enforcement in Quetta, was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in connection with an investigation into the alleged replacement of silver with lead during transportation from a Customs warehouse to a government mint in Lahore.
The case has become the subject of intense discussion on Pakistani social media, where supporters, colleagues and people claiming to know Elahi personally have questioned whether the senior officer was fairly implicated in the case. They are calling for an independent judicial investigation rather than an inquiry conducted solely by government departments.
The allegations surrounding the case remain contested and should not be treated as established facts.
Elahi had been leading anti-smuggling operations
There is independent evidence that Elahi was actively involved in anti-smuggling enforcement in Balochistan before the controversy emerged.
In January 2026, Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue said Elahi, then Collector of Customs Enforcement in Quetta, briefed senior FBR officials on “sustained anti-smuggling drives,” intelligence-based operations and revenue gains achieved through enforcement measures.
The FBR described the visit as part of a broader effort to strengthen cooperation between Customs and law-enforcement agencies against smuggling.
In February, Customs authorities under Elahi reported the seizure of smuggled foreign goods valued at more than Rs370 million, including Iranian smuggled oil, mobile phones, silver bricks and a luxury vehicle. Customs officials also reported the seizure of electronic goods worth about Rs151 million in a separate operation.
In March, Balochistan Police handed over 24 non-customs-paid vehicles worth approximately Rs80 million to Customs authorities in an operation against illegal trade. Elahi publicly supported the joint campaign and said non-customs-paid vehicles were being used in smuggling and other illegal activities.
These official records establish that Elahi was involved in an active enforcement campaign. They do not, however, establish a connection between those operations and his subsequent arrest.
The FIA case concerns approximately 400 kilograms of silver that were allegedly replaced with counterfeit lead bars.
According to reports citing the FIA, the incident came to light in April 2026 after silver stored at a Customs facility was allegedly replaced. Investigators subsequently arrested several Customs officials. The FIA said that 214 kilograms of the allegedly stolen silver, along with Rs4.9 million in cash, had been recovered.
Later FIA said they arrested Elahi, who was in charge of customs in Balochistan.
They describe him as a Grade-20 officer from Lower Dir district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who, despite holding one of the senior positions in Pakistan Customs, has not accumulated the type of personal wealth commonly associated with senior officials in a department frequently exposed to allegations of corruption.
People close to him said that he continues to live a modest lifestyle, including in rented accommodation in Peshawar, and does not own a personal house or car.
One friend told s that Elahi routinely used public transport for personal engagements and trips to his hometown rather than using his official vehicle for private journeys.
His supporters say his family continues to live in their ancestral mud house in Lower Dir, where Elahi’s brothers also live.
They say the contrast between his official position and his personal circumstances has contributed to the perception among supporters that he is an unusually honest public servant.
