KARACHI: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement has seized huge quantity of smuggled goods, including petroleum products and betel nuts worth Rs22.5 million.
Sources told Customs Today that in line with the directions of Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi to curb the menace of smuggling, the Additional Collector Dawood Prizado directed Deputy Collector Syed Muhammad Raza Naqvi to enhance vigilance on the suspected movement of contraband goods coming from Balochistan to Karachi and going out of Karachi to upcountry.
Acting on credible information, the Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) of the Collectorate of Customs Enforcement, Karachi, stationed at the Customs Hamdard Checkpoint on the Northern Bypass, intercepted two vehicles during the night of May 8th and 9th, 2024. The vehicles, a Dumper Hino Truck (Regn No. TAR-606) and a Mazda Truck (Regn No. SDA 703), were found to be transporting betel nuts and High-Speed Diesel (HSD), respectively.
Upon thorough inspection, the ASO team recovered 5,500 liters of Iranian diesel and 5,000 kgs of betel nuts, with the diesel oil seized alongside the Mazda Truck SDA 703 valued at Rs7.5 million, and the betel nuts along with the Dumper Hino Truck TAR-606 valued at Rs15 million.
The seized goods have been confiscated under Section 168 of the Customs Act, 1969, with notices issued in accordance with Section 171 of the same act. The total market value of the seized cases stands at PKR 22.5 million.
In a broader effort to combat smuggling, the Collectorate of Customs Enforcement, Karachi, has made substantial progress, resulting in the seizure of 5,700 kg of betel nuts, 25,000 liters of Iranian petrol and diesel, various electronic items, and 17 Non-Customs Paid vehicles, including cars and jeeps, with a combined market value of PKR 131.5 million over the past week.
The Collector of Customs Enforcement, Karachi, has lauded the ASO for their outstanding performance and urged them to continue their diligent efforts through strategic planning.
