MULTAN: Anti-Smuggling Organization of Model Customs Collectorate Multan have seized smuggled items worth over Rs 500 million including 23 non-custom-paid vehicles, narcotics and foreign currency during last two months of August and September as part of its operations for prevention of smuggling to raise revenue.
Smuggling prevention was one of the main pillars of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s economic vision being enforced by FBR, says an official adding that the unprecedented big seizure worth Rs501 million was made possible during two-month long campaign under the orders and guidance from Member customs operations Tariq Huda, chief collector enforcement central Zulfiqar Ali Chaudhary and collector enforcement Multan Imran Ahmad Chaudhary.
The smuggled goods seized included 23 non-custom-paid vehicles valuing Rs 81.2 million, 28000 Kgs cloth along with truck valuing Rs 74 million, 6, 120 Kgs Parachute Cloth valuing Rs 13.34 million, 25730 Kgs skimmed milk valuing Rs 61.77 million, 966 Tyres along with Truck valuing Rs 23 million, 25 ton tyres scrap (cut into pieces) valuing Rs 3 million, 31000 liter of HSD along with trucks valuing Rs 64.14 million, 15040 Kg Betel Nuts along with Truck valuing Rs 94.6 million, 69 cartons of cigarettes along with Truck valuing Rs 30.5 million, 770 crates of fresh apples along with truck valuing Rs 21.5 million, 45 LEDs valuing Rs 1.0 million, 8450 Kg onions valuing Rs 0.3 million, one Volvo excavator loaded on truck valuing Rs 07 million, currency including UAE Dirham and PKR valuing Rs 2.34 million and 105 Kgs Narcotics valuing 23.5 million.
The big seizures also included tracking down a notorious smuggling racket operated by Haji Sadiq on September 25 this year when a container of fabric valuing Rs.74 million, and a truckload of skimmed milk powder worth 20 million were caught in a 12-hour operation conducted with the assistance of Motorway Police and District Police Rahim Yar Khan.
It might be noted that Multan anti-smuggling organization had seized foreign origin smuggled goods worth Rs 3, 936 million during last fiscal year, says an official release.
Efforts were afoot to set up new customs offices in south Punjab including check posts/small forts en route from Fort Monroe to the settled area of Muzaffargarh and in Bahawalpur while other such areas and smuggling-hotspots were also being identified to put in place facilities to tighten noose around smugglers.
Beside, the emphasis was being laid on the merge needed inter agency cooperation, i.e., the Police, Motorways and National Highway Authorities and Border Military Police (BMP), Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and it has been desired to hold a meeting with other agencies and sister departments to chalk out a strategy to counter menace of smuggling.