MULTAN: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement & Compliance (E&C) Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) seized huge quantity of almonds, cumin seeds, cocoa powder under the garb of fresh apples loaded on a truck.
Sources told Customs Today that Customs E&C received credible information from that huge quantity of almonds will be transported through Dera Ghazi Khan Region to Multan. The total worth of the seized almond was almost Rs20.175 million.
Additional Collector Syed Ali Abbas Gardezi formed special team consisting Inspector Muhammad Saleem and others to foil bid of smuggling.
Multan Customs anti-smuggling squad intercepted a suspected Hino truck loaded with fresh apples and foreign origin almond near Sher Shah Area. Anti-Smuggling Organization team found that truck was loaded with huge quantity of fresh apples apparently during examination of Multan Customs.
Customs teams recovered 25 bags of cocoa powder, almonds shelled of 50 cartons with 1100 kilograms, 20 bags of almonds with soft shell almost 440 kilograms, cumin seeds of 1640 kilograms, almonds without shell of 3600 Kilograms and others.
The net weight of the recovered almond was 10080 kilograms .The almonds were USA and Iran origin. Customs teams asked driver of the said truck to provide legal documents of the foreign origin almonds, Cocoa and Cumin seeds .Upon failure of driver in providing any import documents regarding the import of the recovered goods. Said almonds were hidden under the fresh apples during examination.
Customs team decided to seize almonds, Cocoa and cumin seeds after thorough examination. The driver informed Customs staff that he was coming from Quetta and its destination was Multan. Anti-Smuggling squad seized almonds and other goods under Customs act 1969.Further investigations were under process.
