PESHAWAR: The Torkham Customs foiled a bid to smuggle gold from Pakistan into Afghanistan on Saturday morning, the official sources told Customs Today.
The sources added that the weight of gold is 27 Tola while a man was apprehended for the smuggling.
The customs staff was offering routine duties on Saturday morning when a man, who was on his way to Afghanistan, was checked. He was arrested and a case was also lodged against him at the Torkham Station.
The Torkham Customs with it’s border with Afghanistan is a busy route and attempts are often made to smuggle gold and other valuable goods across the border. Deputy collector lauded the efforts of the customs officials for preventing the smuggling and adding revenue to the national exchequer.
The sources also said that it has been the first attempt aborted to smuggle gold while there has been several attempts frustrated by the Customs officials in July which has added extra amount of revenue to the treasury by impounding these international branded gold.
Meanwhile, the Torkham Customs seized the non-duty-paid clothes and other goods worth millions of rupees and also traced a network of smugglers involved in smuggling of drugs which were confiscated.
An attempt was thwarted when Mir Waris was apprehended in possession with 1kg heroin and 15kg hashish on his way back from Afghanistan. Seemingly, the smugglers exchange drugs with gold which not only causes the national exchequer a loss but also brings bad name to Pakistan.
Deputy Collector Torkham Customs strictly directed the officials that zero tolerance policy be adopted for the drug peddlers and any attempt of smuggling of non-duty-paid goods should also be discouraged.
Due to smuggling on large scale, Pakistan Customs has restricted the handcart-pushers to carry the luggage from one country to another which they have protested.
According to sources, the handcart-pushers are facing economic hardships due to the said restriction and they are looking for alternative jobs.
