HYDERABAD: The Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) Hyderabad, Sukkur Customs Preventive, has seized foreign origin 18 cartons of cosmetics valued at Rs119200 lakh involving duties and taxes of Rs56501 during a crackdown.
Sources told Customs Today that the smuggled item was being smuggled into Pakistan.
The sources said Collector Customs Hyderabad Akhlaq Ahmad Khattaq received a tip-off regarding the smuggling of above said item. He constituted a raiding team under the supervision of Additional Collector Rehmatullah Vistro.
The ASO team raided the premises of a goods transport company and intercepted a private vehicle and recovered imported non-duty-paid cosmetics.
The team asked the driver for the legal documents of the import and possession of goods but he was unable to prove anything lawful in this regard. The customs seized the item under the customs bylaws.
The ASO deposited the confiscated 18 cartons of cosmetics into the Sukkur State Warehouse. The ASO team comprised of Deputy Collector Mushtaq Ali Shahni, Assistant Collector Mumtaz Ali Ghangro including Inspectors, Sepoys, and Drivers which participated in the operation.
Officials said Hyderabad Customs Collector Akhlaq Ahmad Khattaq had directed that effective measures should be taken for curbing the smuggling in the region. They added that the anti-smuggling officials have enhanced the vigilance on roads to keep an eye on the movement of the smuggling items and vehicles.
Meanwhile, Additional Collector Rehmatullah Vistro, while talking with Customs Today, said the department is striving to increase the surveillance of suspects in the region as more checkposts had also been established to foil the smuggling bids.
