KARACHI: Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Preventive, Assistant Collector (Headquarters), Syed Mohammad Raza Naqvi says that more than 450,000 liters of smuggled Iranian diesel have been seized while smugglers arrested in the nine month of the current year.
Moreover, in three months July, August and September this year, the MCC Preventive seized more than 190,000 liters of smuggled Iranian diesel that is the major achievement of the collectorate that his working under the leadership of Collector S M Tariq Huda, stated AC (Headquarters) Syed Mohammad Raza in an exclusive interview with Customs Today.
Elaborating further, the assistant collector disclosed that the seizure, recovery of smuggled Iranian diesel in these three months last year was just 5,500 liters.
“The modus-operandi has been changed by the smugglers as in the past the smugglers used to smuggle larger quantities of diesel, petrol or goods. However, now smuggling are taking place rarely through smaller quantities by passengers coaches or small transportation”, he added.
The officer said that Pakistan Customs was maintaining close eye on each and every single movement of the smugglers, adding that the smuggling had almost stopped.
In the recent past, the MCC Preventive launched a major crackdown against the petrol pumps selling Iranian diesel in the Kathore region at Superhighway and demolished 15 to 20 pumps and arrested many people on the spot.
“The operation was purely carried out by the customs authorities without the help of police or rangers that reflected that Pakistan Customs writ has been made established and made stronger”.
“We have also busted a dumping place for Iranian diesel at Gadap area, near Baqai Medical College and recovered some 30,000 liters of Iranian diesel”, Raza added.