MULTAN: Collectorate of Customs Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) team seized betel nuts from Taunsa region during their action.
Sources told Customs Today that Deputy Collector Saqib-ur-Rehman Warraich received credible information from their source that huge quantity of betel nuts will be smuggled via Dera Ghazi Khan Taunsa region.
Multan Customs Collectorate constituted a raiding team under the supervision of Inspector Muhammad Asif Rafique Sindhu, Inspector Muhammad Khalid, Saif-ur-Rehman, Sajjad Haider, Abdul Sattar, Muhammad Irfan Qureshi, Muhammad Afzal and others to thwart their attempt of smuggling.
Customs anti-smuggling squad was directed to remain alert and enhance monitoring of goods at suspected routes. Customs anti-smuggling squad intercepted a suspected truck coming from Baluchistan which was loaded with different goods and recovered huge quantity of foreign origin betel nuts. The truck was coming from Quetta and said betel nuts were booked for Multan.
Customs ASO team recovered 500 kilograms betel nuts which were packed in the different sacks during the examination of loaded goods. It was also revealed in the initial interrogation of Customs that betel nuts were smuggled under the garb of different items and they were trying to supply betel nuts to different retailers of South Punjab especially in Multan region but customs teams foiled their attempt of smuggling due to timely action against them.
Driver of the vehicle was asked to produce import documents to justify their legal possession and he produced booking bilty to customs staff. Customs staff has started probing against the owner in the light of booking slips by seizing recovered betel nuts under Customs Act 1969. Further investigations were still under process.
