GAWADAR: The Pakistan Customs and Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) in a joint action foiled a bid to smuggle the biggest-ever cache of hashish worth Rs 1.5 billion and arrested nine smugglers including three foreigners.
Addressing a press conference in the PMSA Headquarters along with Gawadar Customs Collector Saeed Akram, PMSA Director General Rear Admiral Jameel Akhtar said the Maritime Security Agency and Gawadar Customs, on a tipoff, conducted the operation in the international waters on the western boundary of Pakistan and recovered 2,400 kilograms high quality hashish from a boat and arrested nine accused including three foreigners and also confiscated their boat.
The value of the recovered hashish in the international market is more than Rs 1,500 million. The PMSA DG further told that when the smugglers saw the fast-response boat of the PMSA, they tried to flee but the smugglers’ boat caught fire. The PMSA officials first doused the fire and later arrested the smugglers and confiscated their boat.
The accused were handed over to the Gawadar Customs Collectorate for further legal action.
Earlier, the accused were presented before the media. Talking to the media, Gawadar Customs Collector Saeed Akram said to check smuggling and all types of illegal activities was amongst the top priorities. He said in 2015, the FC, PMSA and other institutions ensured to stop the smuggling of diesel, which increased revenue of Rs 9 billion to the national exchequer.
Saeed said that Pakistan Customs during 2015 lodged 54 FIRs and in these cases 26 criminals were convicted. He thanked all the institutions, particularly the PMSA.
On the occasion, deputy director general PMSA Commodore Abdul Majid, Lt Commander Wajid Nawaz, Lt Imran Bhalai, Anush Khalid, Saleem Awan, Assistant Customs Collector Gawadar Kaleemullah, Superintendent Anti-Smuggling Customs Gawadar Muhammad Saleem Khokhar and others were also present.
