MULTAN: Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) has seized huge quantity of fresh Afghan origin apples worth Rs3.5 million
According to the details, Anti-smuggling Organization received credible information from their source that huge quantity of foreign origin smuggled apples will be transported to South Punjab.
In pursuance of the said information, Assistant Collector Omer Bin Zafar Chatha directed anti-smuggling squad to take action against them. Customs anti-smuggling squad started patrolling in the suspected areas to foil any attempt of smuggling.
Customs Anti-Smuggling team intercepted a container near Mian Channu which was loaded with fresh apples packed in different plastic crates and driver told Customs staff that he was coming from Baluchistan to transport said fresh apples.
Anti-smuggling squad asked drivers of the said container to produce import documents but they failed to produce any relevant documents. Thorough search of the container was conducted in presence of drivers which led to the recovery of the 1695 plastic crates approximately 16950 kilograms of foreign origin fresh apples.
The fresh apples were Afghan origin and they were transporting Afghan Apples for supplying in the local fruits markets. Sources told Customs Today that prices and demand of foreign origin apples were handsome in Punjab due to holy month of Ramzan and smuggling of apples has also been go up in the jurisdiction.
Anti-smuggling staff seized the recovered foreign origin apples along with Container vehicle under section 168 of the Customs Act 1969.The net value of the seized foreign origin apples is Rs.3.5 million and the value of vehicles was almost Rs7.5 million. Further investigations were still under process.
