LAHORE: Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) with the collobration of Customs Enforcement under the supervision of Additional Director Hassan Farid along with Deputy Director I&I Shahzad Ranjha and Ms. Sidra Naz AC ASO raided the godown located in well known area of Azam Cloth Market.
Despite having Police assistance the team had to retreat with an injured Deputy Director and various sepoys of the collectorate, the directorate and the police and damaged vehicles of Customs as a mob of hundreds of smugglers and their accomplices taking positions on roof tops of the godown bombarded the joint team with stones, rods and bullets.
After the strategic retreat the surroundings of the target area were cordoned off, FIR under ATA of 1997 was lodged with the police and an operation to apprehend the offenders was launched.
By the evening the police took more than 40 people into its custody who were involved in the attack on Customs team.
Undaunted by the apparent dangers and threats, the Customs team again raided the same godown with full force and assistance of the police within next 24 hours.
The operation was commanded by Hassan Farid Additional Director along with AC Sidra Naz and DD Ali Asad while the Director I&I Lahore Ms Saima Aftab supervised the proceedings which resulted in the recovery of huge quantity of foreign origin fabric of high quality (Woven furnished fabric of Sofa viscose balanded and knitted fabric schenille velvet) which was transported to the warehouse in 20 Mazda Trucks.
The fabric belonged to notorious and the biggest dealers of smuggled products Abdul Mateen Khan and Hakeem Khan who have thwarted many such attempts of Customs by use of force in the past.
