MULTAN: The Customs Collectorate has taken plenty of pragmatic and remarkable measures for improvement of Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) by expanding the ambit of anti-smuggling campaign to smuggled goods in private warehouses. In pursuance of policy guidelines issued by Federal Board of Revenue against smuggling, Model Customs Collectorate Multan has intensified the anti-smuggling operations.
These views were expressed by Multan Customs Collector Saud Imran Ahmad in an exclusive interview with Customs Today in his office on other day. The collector said that Anti-Smuggling Organization has conducted successful operation against the smuggled goods of worth Rs15 million which were concealed in the private warehouse located near NLC bypass Kherra Chowk.
Collector Saud Imran Ahmad stated that Multan Customs received tip off that huge quantity of foreign origin non-customs paid goods including cigarettes and others were stored in a private warehouse and they are supplying these smuggled goods to retail markets in the South Punjab especially Multan and their adjoining areas.
Anti-Smuggling Organization adopted special strategy against the crackdown of these smuggled goods and took action after the strong evidence. Multan Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization took search warrants of suspected place from magistrate before raiding the said private warehouse.
Collector directed Anti-Smuggling Organization after receiving information to take strict action against said smuggled goods and supervised the whole operation conducted by Superintendent Habibur Rehman, Inspector Aziz-ur-Rehman, Inspector Abdul Samad, Inspector Saleem Khan, Inspector Rana Mujtaba Noon, Inspector Ghulam Asghar, Muhammad Imran and others.
Multan Customs Anti-smuggling Organization recovered huge quantity of foreign origin smuggled cigarettes, Gutka brand of Pan Parag and other contraband items from the warehouse.
Almost 145 cartons of foreign origin cigarettes of Pine and Milano brands were also recovered during action of Multan Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization. Collector Saud Imran told that recovered cigarettes were without any pictorial health warning and this was also evidence that these cigarettes were foreign origin.
During the raid of Multan Customs and Multan Customs broke the locks of house to recover these huge quantity of smuggled .The smuggled goods were packed in the sacks and these smuggled goods were present in the more than 200 sacks and smuggler used to supply these non-customs paid contraband items to retailers.
Smugglers have stored these smuggled Gutka and cigarettes in house and supplied to retail market in the different areas of South Punjab.
Customs teams took the smuggled goods in their custody and seized recovered goods of worth approximately Rs.15 million. Multan Customs Investigation and Prosecution I &P has started probing against the owner of house for these smuggled goods and Multan Customs will also lodge FIR against the alleged very soon.
The Anti-Smuggling Organization was re-organized after joining Multan Customs and staffs were deployed strategically in the Jurisdiction to foil the different attempts of smuggling.
Special emphasis was given on the revamping of Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) to curb menace of smuggling from Jurisdiction. Collector told that Customs has given exceptional performance by seizing vehicles and goods of worth Rs.182.293 million during various anti-smuggling actions in first four months of existing fiscal year 2017-18.
