HYDERABAD: The Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) Hyderabad, Customs Preventive Sukkur, took into possession the non-duty-paid different brands of smuggling cigarettes including (i) Pine Light (ii), Milano (iii), ORIS Menthol (iv), ORIS Light (v), ORIS Double Apple brands’ 50 packets and 3,080 sachet of Pan Parag Gutka priced at Rs1.1million including duties and taxes during a raid near a checkpost Jacobabad-Sukkur division during 18 days of August 2017-18.
Hyderabad Customs Collector Akhlaq Ahmad Khattaq received a tip-off about the smuggling of foreign origin cigarettes by a local transport company. He immediately constituted a raiding party under the supervision of customs authorities. The team intercepted a vehicle on said address and recovered the foreign origin cigarettes.
Prior to the recovery, the officials asked the driver to show the documentary proofs of the legal import and lawful possession of the recovered items, but he could not do the same. So the officials confiscated the contraband items under the customs bylaws besides impounding the vehicle being used for smuggling.
The seized items have been shifted to Sukkur Warehouse while a case has been referred to the Customs Adjudication for further proceedings. The customs will present the said items for auction if the case is decided in favor of the department.
The ASO team consisted of Customs Officer In-Charge Checkpost Aziz Ahmed Katpar, Inspector Nasrullah Gilal, Inspector Rahib Ali Abro, Hidayatullah Abro, Inspector Nazeer Ahmed, Sepoys Dhani Bux, Shoil Ahmed Bhutto, Ajaz Bhutto, Khalil Ahmed and Driver Manzoor Mashori.
Officials said efforts are on to thwart the smuggling attempts in the region adding that surveillance has been enhanced on roads to keep an eye on the smuggling of non-duty-paid goods and vehicles.
