KARACHI: An innovative idea of smuggling was exposed by the Directorate of Customs Investigation and Intelligence Karachi and Quetta which foiled an attempt to smuggle 220,000 litres of Iranian origin high speed diesel oil.
The smuggled oil was concealed in huge LPG Bowser and was likely to be delivered in Sadiqabad. This secret way of transporting smuggled diesel has been exposed for the first time during the history of seizures.
The operation was jointly conducted by the Directorate of Customs Intelligence Karachi and Quetta on a tip-off received by the Directorate General Customs Investigation and Intelligence, Lutfullah Virk that a racket of smugglers was trying to transport smuggled HSD oil of Iranian origin into Sindh and Punjab through Baluchistan. On which the DG Lutfullah Virk, constituted a special team comprising Director Customs Intelligence, Karachi, Quetta, Deputy Directors Inam Ullah Wazir and Amjad Rajpar to do surveillance in order to check any such attempt.
As a result of reconnaissance, the special team constituted for the purpose impounded approximately 220,000 litres of Iranian origin HSD oil.
Addressing a news conference here on Monday both the Deputy Directors Inam Ullah Wazir and Amjad Rajpar gave details to the media persons. Anti-Smuggling Organisation Karachi Chief Haji Aslam was also present on the occasion.
They said that the team received information that seven oil tankers carrying around 170,000 litres of Iranian diesel were passing from Khuzdar, Baluchistan which were detained after prompt action. Similarly, the intelligence team operating in Sindh also succeeded in seizing 50,000 litres of Irnaian origin HSD oil while the tankers loaded with the smuggled oil tried to enter into Sindh near Shikarpur.
Talking to the media persons Inam Ullah Wazir and Amjad Rajpar disclosed that now onward the customs would also try to file money laundering cases and the accounts of the perpetrators of this atrocious crime may also be frozen.
They said that they are working on their strategies to minimize the smuggling and had received miraculous results as the sale of local oil marketing companies in Sindh and Baluchistan has risen up to 100 percent. ASO Karachi Chief Haji Aslam informed the media that in Karachi too at least 20 percent increase in the sale of diesel has been witnessed following the crackdown on the smugglers of Iranian origin HSD oil.
First Information Reports have been registered against the arrested accused persons and criminal proceedings also have been initiated against them accordingly.
It may be mentioned here that the Directorate of Customs Investigation and Intelligence has launched a concerted campaign against the smuggling of Iranian origin HSD oil and have also seized huge quantity of oil during the last six months. Director General Customs Intelligence Lutfullah Virk has also met the heads of different law enforcement agencies including Rangers with a view to checking the phenomenon of smuggled HSD oil in Pakistan.
