MULTAN: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement & Compliance seized huge quantity of betel nuts under the garb of coal from Dera Ghazi Khan.
According to details, Additional Collector Enforcement & Compliance Syed Ali Abbas Gardezi received reliable information that huge quantity of contraband items smuggled through Dera Ghazi Khan Region. He alerted the anti-smuggling squad Dera Ghazi Khan and directed them to enhance monitoring of suspected routes to foil any bid of smuggling in the region.
Anti-Smuggling Organization Dera Ghazi Khan formed team including Inspector Asif Rafique Sandhu ,Inspector Shah Nawaz and others to take action against smuggled goods.
Following the directions of additional collector, the team intercepted a suspected truck bearing registration number TKJ-615/Lasbella near Punjab Baluchistan border which was loaded with huge quantity of betel nuts and coal. Smugglers were trying to smuggle betel nuts under the garb of coal to dodge customs teams.
Anti-Smuggling Organization Dera Ghazi Khan detected a concealment in the alleged 10 wheeler truck apparently loaded with coal. Customs team’s detained smuggled Indian origin crushed betel nuts concealed under coal and betel nuts was recovered after carefully examination. The whole truck was reloaded to recover betel nuts. The origin of recovered contraband items was India and they were smuggled through Afghanistan.
Betel nuts were packed in the 375 sacks and net weight of seized betel nuts was Rs22.5 million. Customs staff also called Baluchistan Military Police for their assistance during crackdown to avoid any retaliation.
During preliminary investigation of Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization driver of the truck told them that truck was coming from Baluchistan and its final destination was Lahore.
Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization Dera Ghazi Khan squad seized the entire betel nuts and shifted the betel nuts along with truck to Customs State Warehouse Multan.
The value of the seized betel nuts was almost Rs22.5 million along with vehicle of almost Rs8 million Customs seized the goods under Customs act 1969 and further investigation regarding the betel nuts were still under process.
