FAISALABAD: The Customs Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO) confiscated 95 bags of foreign origin smuggled almond 97 bags worth Rs 6.7 million involving duty and taxes to the tune of Rs 3.5 millions.
Sources told Customs Today that Collector Muhammad Saleem received information that non-duty-paid foreign origin almonds would be smuggled into Faisalabad. He constituted an ASO team comprising inspector Abdul Rehman Butt, Mehmood Tipu and customs inspector Khalid Gujjar and other sepoys to conduct the raid.
On the tip-off by higher authorities, inspector Abdul Rehman Butt raided a godown near Jhang road Faisalabad where smuggled contraband items were being kept. The team asked ‘munshi’ of the ‘adda’ to produce the documents regarding the legal import of almonds. On demand the staff of cargo ‘adda’ could not produce any documentary evidence of lawful possession and legal import goods at the spot.
The ASO team seized almonds under Section 2(s) read with SRO 566(1)/2005 Section 16 18 of the Customs Act 1969. The case has been forwarded to the Customs Adjudication for further legal action.
It is necessary to mention here that Collector Muhammad Saleem directed all anti smuggling squads to adopt zero tolerance policy towards smuggling. He directed that anyone found involved in smuggling should be dealt with iron hands.
