It’s the highest value case in recent history of Karachi
KARACHI: Working under the guidance of Faiz Ahmed Chadhar, Director General Intelligence & Investigation Customs, the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation (I&I)-Customs has seized smuggled goods worth over Rs635 million, which is the highest value seizure in recent history.
An FIR has been lodged and three persons arrested while further investigations are in progress. The information was provided by Director General Faiz Ahmad Chadhar that an organized group involved in smuggling would secretly dump a huge quantity of smuggled goods in a compound near Rizvia Society, Scheme 33, Malir Karachi.
After the information, an anti-smuggling team of the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation-Customs was constituted. On January 25, the team noticed two Mazda Trucks coming out of the premises. The team chased them and intercepted them on Rashid Minhas Road. On cursory search, these were found to be loaded with foreign origin assorted laptops. When the drivers failed to provide any documents showing legal import/possession, the trucks along with the drivers were escorted to the office of the Directorate.
Meanwhile, another truck was seen exiting the premises which was also intercepted by the team near Askari Park, University Road, Karachi. Initial search revealed it too was loaded with Aircraft Piston Engine oil. When the driver failed to produce any legal documents, it was brought to the office.
Thereafter, a search warrant for the premises under Section 162 of the Customs Act, 1969 was obtained from the Civil Judge & Judicial Magistrate, Malir. When the team entered the premises, it found another Mazda truck and a Suzuki pickup loaded with smuggled goods.
There were also other smuggled items in the premises which were then loaded on a truck. All the smuggled goods along with vehicles were brought to the Directorate. A detailed inventory of the goods recovered has been prepared. The value of the smuggled goods is around Rs369 million and that of the vehicles is Rs24 million.
The Customs department also seized 12,780 bottle of liquor and beer can (10548 bottles and 2160 cans) worth of Rs252 million imported in the garb of a diplomatic cargo.
Director General Customs Intelligence Faiz Ahmed praised Customs Intelligence Karachi’s performance and instructed other directorates to continue the crackdown on smuggling. He said the department was working on an effective anti-smuggling policy aligned with parameters of transparency and zero-tolerance.
