KARACHI: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement has seized huge quantity of smuggled tyres and hydraulic oil worth Rs541.12 million from a godown in Gul Bai area.
Sources said a credible information was received through Collector Enforcement Usman Bajwa to Additional Collector Muhammad Faisal that huge quantity of smuggled tyres are brought to Karachi and dumped at a godown near Maripur District West. Muhammad Faisal is very experienced in anti-smuggling operations. During his tenure as Deputy Collector ASO in Karachi, Muhammad Faisal made several high-profile cases.
The informer further divulged that in order to ensure safe transportation to local market and up-country and to defraud customs en-route checking mechanism, smugglers are using different embossing/alteration instruments to change the specifications, serial numbers, sizes and manufacturing dates to make them exactly as per the import GDs of other imported consignments.
Assistant Collector Muhammad Faizan Arif formed the ASO team to raid the godown. Keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue, a search warrant was obtained from Judicial Magistrate, Karachi West. A thorough and long search was carried out, which resulted in recovery of foreign origin tyres and engine oil, hydrolic oil worth Rs541.12 million.
Since the quantities are unprecedentedly huge, the same have been shifted to State warehouse. FIR has been lodged.
It is pertinent to mention that one person Shahnawaz Khan tried to cause hindrance on account of his claim as owner of the godown. He was immediately arrested and is under physical remand.
