LAHORE: Collectorate of Customs Preventive on Tuesday canceled the auction of apples that were confiscated from Lahore. There were only few purchasers who were interested in auction of the apples and they gave fewer rates against apples of Rs8.1 million.
Highest rate that was announced by a purchaser was only Rs3.2 million which is far less than the real rate of the apples.
Customs Preventive team after observing no interest by the purchasers canceled the auction for one day. Now auction will be observes on Wednesday (today).
Earlier the Customs Preventive’s Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) has seized a huge quantity of smuggled apples worth Rs8.1 million.
Collector Preventive Faiz Ahmed received information that attempt would be made to transport smuggled commodity from Quetta to Lahore.
The ASO team supervised by Deputy Collector ASO Mohammad Moazzam Raza and comprising Superintendent Agha Qadeer Jaider, Inspectors Nasir Saeed, Azam Wattoo, Sajjad Bukhari, Amjad Khan and sepoys kept strict vigilance on the movement of cargo. Subsequently, the team spotted a trailer no. TLE-438 from Quetta at Motorway Interchange Shera Kot.
During examination, the vehicle was found to be loaded with smuggled/non-duty paid New Zealand-origin apples weighing 20 tons. A case has been registered and further investigations are under way.
