KARACHI: The Customs Court directed investigation officer of Customs Collectorate Preventive to arrest culprits who are booked in a case of attempting to smuggle non-duty-paid betel nuts, cigarettes and others contraband goods.
On September 24, 2018, Investigation Officer Iftikhar Hassan Khan submitted a new first information report (FIR) and informed that an actionable information was received to effect that a huge quantity of smuggled/non-duty paid foreign-origin cigarettes, gutka and betel nuts loaded in a railway wagon arrived from Multan for delivery through M/s Feroz Cargo Service & Goods Transport Company, Railway Dry Port, Berth, Karachi and likely to be removed from that wagon at any time for onward transportation.
He submitted that pursuant to the said information, a customs team reached the spot and recovered 53 gunny bags containing foreign-origin betel nuts each weighing 3710 kg valuing at Rs920,000, 40 cartons containing Pine Light cigarettes made in Korea, 2000 dandas worth Rs10,00,000, 104 bags containing One-2-One gutka packed in Dubai 1248 kg valuing at Rs9,360,000, 195 PP bags containing Shaikhar gutka made in India 1950 kg valuing at Rs1,050,000 from said wagon.
He said that during the raid, no one including staff of M/s Feroz Cargo Service & Goods Transport Company was there; therefore, after the successful raid, said goods were seized and case was registered by Senior Preventive Officer Iftikhar Hassan Khan for violation of Section 2 (s) 156 (2) and 178 of Customs Act, 1969 punishable under Clauses 8 & 89 of Section 156 (i) ibid read with Section 3 (i) of Import & Export control Act, 1950.
Investigation officer further said that prosecution is trying its best for arrest of culprits, who are involved in this crime.
After the hearing, court directed him to complete investigations and submit charge-sheet on next date of hearing.
