Levels of smuggling

This refers to the letter, ‘Small smuggling’ (May 2) by Sayed GB Shah Bokhari. It took me back some decades. In an African country where shoes were very costly, people used to go up to the border, hide their shoes in bushes and walk barefooted (which was common) to the neighbouring country where shoes were cheap. And then they walked backed wearing new shoes – thus successfully evading customs duty.

Then they put on their old shoes and sold the new pair at a profit. The detection of this practice was described as breaking a big smuggling racket in the country, while the smuggling of ivory and other costly items flourished unchecked. The letter shows that at least we have attained parity with a least-developed African country in checking smuggling of goods.

S R H Hashmi

Karachi