SIALKOT: The Customs Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO) has confiscated smuggled Indian origin red chilli worth Rs 70,000 during a raid on Sambrial-Sialkot Road.
Following the directions of Sialkot Customs Collector Ahmed Reza Khan, ASO incharge Assistant Collector Fahad Bashir Chaudhary is dealing with the matters of ASO and making efforts to improve the performance of the department.
Fahad Bashir ordered Superintendent Sardar Manzoor to constitute a team to check vehicles on roads and curb smuggling. The superintendent constituted a team under the supervision of Inspector Aftab Ahmed who along with his staff started checking vehicles on Sambrial-Sialkot Road.
The team intercepted a van coming from Mirpur (AJK) for checking and recovered Indian origin red chilli worth Rs 70,000. The officials asked drive named Shafqat about booking documents of recovered items, but he could not produce the same. The driver told the team team that red chilli was loaded from van stand of Mirpur (AJK).
The customs officials taking action confiscated the Indian origin red chilli under the customs laws and shifted the items to custom warehouse. The customs will issue legal notice to van stand manager as per Customs Act, 1969 after registering a case against the accused person.
Officials said that the case will be sent to the Customs Adjudication for further proceedings against the suspect, adding that the department will auction the red chilli, if the decision is announced in favour of the department. They informed that the customs has released the driver after proper interrogation.
