MULTAN: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement & Compliance (E&C) foiled attempt to smuggle huge quantity of betel nuts worth Rs5 million under the garb of biscuits from Sadiqabad region.
According to details, Collector Enforcement & Compliance Muneeza Majeed received reliable information that huge quantity of contraband items will be smuggled. Collector alerted anti-smuggling squad Sadiqabad.
Anti-Smuggling Organization Sadiqabad constituted special joint team for taking action against smuggled goods.
Following the directions of Collector, ASO squad started patrolling of routes and recovered huge quantity of betel nuts loaded on a Bradford truck.
Anti-Smuggling Organization teams detected that betel nuts were crushed and kept tactfully under the garb of biscuits. Customs team’s detained smuggled Indian origin crushed betel nuts after examination. The origin of recovered contraband items was India and they were smuggled through Afghanistan.
Betel nuts were packed in the 82 sacks and net weight of seized betel nuts was almost 2500 kilograms. Customs staff also called local police for their assistance during crackdown to avoid any retaliation.
During preliminary investigation it was revealed that said betel nuts were smuggled through clandestine routes and smugglers were trying to supply in the local markets. Customs Anti-Smuggling teams seized the entire betel nuts and shifted the betel nuts to Customs State Warehouse.
The value of the seized betel nuts was almost Rs5 million. Customs seized the betel nuts under Customs act 1969 and further investigations regarding the betel nuts were still under process.
