KARACHI: The Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) of the Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation-FBR, Karachi raided a godown, located near Niazi Chowk in Lyari and recovered 700 sacks (28 tonnes) of poppy seed.
According to details, an ASO team comprising Incharge Haji Muhammad Aslam, Akmal Hashmi, Pervez Zardari, Jamal Shah and others on the directives of Director General (DG) Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation-FBR Lutfullah Virk raided a godown and seized huge quantity of poppy seed weighting approximately 28 tonnes.
It is pertinent to mention here that the huge quantity of poppy seed was illegally stored in the godown. The Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation has registered an FIR against godown owner Junaid and goods owner Mumtaz alias ‘Lahori’.
Incharge ASO Haji Muhammad Aslam informed Customs Today that the team of ASO on the directives of DG Customs I&I Lutfullah Virk raided a godown in Lyari, a sensitive area in Karachi in recent days.
He further said that the poppy seeds were also smuggled to Turkey, USA and United Arab Emirates due to its high demand there.
“A criminal case has been registered against Junaid, the owner of the godown and Mumtaz alias ‘Lahori’ the owner of the goods for violating Customs Act, 1969”, he added.
He further said that the poppy seed is one of the main ingredients of narcotics for making high quality opium, heroine and other drugs.
“The export of poppy seed is banned under Export Policy Order (EPO) and this is the first seizure of banned poppy seed from a private godown in Karachi during last many years”, he maintained.
To a query, ASO Incharge further informed this scribe that further investigation was underway in this regard and attempts were being made in order to arrest the godown and goods owners.
Karachi Customs Intelligence has conducted a number of such raids in different areas and markets of the metropolis and recovered smuggled goods including black tea.
Information was received by the authorities of Customs Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation that a huge quantity of smuggled black tea from Afghanistan was stored at different warehouses in certain Bazaars.
A team of Customs Intelligence and Investigation raided a warehouse in Jodia Bazaar and recovered 34 tonnes of high quality smuggled black tea, worth around Rs 18 million, which was smuggled through Afghan Transit Trade and other illegal routes.
It is worth mentioning that the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation-Customs following the directives of Director General Intelligence and Investigation-Customs Luftullah Virk has confiscated smuggled goods worth over Rs 400 million in three months.
Sources informed Customs Today that the Directorate of I&I has been directed by DG Luftullah Virk to eliminate the menace of smuggling in order to facilitate the trade.
