LAHORE: At least six smugglers have been arrested by the police for manhandling Deputy Collector and causing serious injuries to a spoey who was immediately rushed to the nearby hospital where he is under intensive care.
However, the team successfully seized four containers and two trucks loaded with foreign origin clothes and other goods.
This was informed by Collectorate of Customs Enforcement & Compliance) Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi and Lahore Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Asad Raza Rizvi in a press conference held Thursday at the Customs House.
They said in pursuance of a credible information that smuggled goods have been transported from Ouetta and currently the vehicles loaded with the smuggled goods are parked at the godown at Misri Shan, Lahore in possession of Haji Sadiq.
A joint team comprising of staff of Customs Collectorate (Enforcement & Compliance), Lahore and Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation, Lahore was constituted which reached at the spot and intercepted two containers loaded with smuggled items near the godown. Upon the interception of the containers, about 70 armed accomplices of Haji Sadiq Achakzai attacked the staff and tried to put on fire customs official vehicles.
The attackers manhandled the Deputy Collector, Syed Karim Aadil and caused serious injuries to sepoy Muhammad Arif who was immediately rushed to the nearby hospital where he is under intensive care.
The customs officers informed that police assistance was sought and contingents of police consisting of 8-10 vehicles reached at the place. The police response was apt and quick and resultantly the smugglers fled from the scene.
An FIR No.686/2021 at PS Misri Shah Lahore has been lodged against the main accused including Rafiq Khan, Muhammad Aslam, Noor Muhammad, Muhammad, Jahanzaib Khan, Masood Khan, Atteque Khan, Sailab Khan etc by invoking Section 7 of Anti-Terrorist Act (ATA) alongwith other penal clauses, they said.
At least six accused smugglers have been arrested by the police while raids were also conducted at the residential premises of the culprits which were found abandoned, they expressed.
The team of Customs Enforcement & Compliance, Lahore and Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation, Lahore have seized four containers and two trucks loaded with foreign origin goods.
Detailed examination of the containers is under way and penal proceedings against the Haji Sadiq would be initiated on the basis of the findings of the examination of the seized containers/goods, they concluded.
