HYDERABAD: The Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) has seizes a huge quantity of foreign origin Royal and Pride cigarettes and 290 cartons of Indian gutkha and Pan Parag, besides impounding a non-duty paid Hino truck with an accumulative value of more than Rs 20 million during a midnight operation in Sukkur division.
According to details, Hyderabad Customs Collector Agha Shahid Majeed received information that some smugglers were planning to smuggle a huge quantity of Indian contraband items and foreign origin cigarettes.
He immediately constituted a team under the supervision of Additional Collector Rehmatullah Vistro which also included Superintendent Shabbir Phalphuto, Inspector Ahmed Ali Shah, Inspector Karamullah Hujan, Inspector Syed Zagham Ali Shah and other staff members. The team established many check points on the main entry and exit points of the city and stated checking of vehicles.
The ASO team spotted a suspicious Hino truck bearing registration no. TKW-634, which was coming from Multan. The officials signaled the driver to pull over. As he stopped a few yards away from the check post, the driver of the truck fled – taking advantage of darkness – leaving behind the vehicle.
The ASO team searched the vehicle and recovered huge quantity of foreign origin non duty paid Royal and Pride cigarettes and other Indian origin contraband items such as Pan Parag and gutkha. The market value of seized goods and vehicle is Rs 2.5 million.
The ASO team after seizing all the goods and vehicle into their custody registered a case of smuggling against unknown persons and started investigations.
