ISLAMABAD: The law-enforcing agencies (LEAs) informed the government on Friday that they seized approximately $260,000 in illegal currency and goods worth Rs551 million during the last one week operations against smuggling all over the country.
Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar had directed the Pakistan Customs and other border forces for taking stern action against all those involved in illegal movement of currency and goods. It was also pointed out that the Torkham border was hub of smuggling out currency and goods to Afghanistan. The Chaman border and other crossing points were also being used for smuggling of goods and currencies. It was pointed out that Pakistan was importing coal from Afghanistan and thus rupee was used to purchase dollars from Peshawar, which went out to Afghanistan.
It was also pointed out that Afghan Transit Trade was another source for smuggling back goods into Pakistan. According to an official statement, issued by the Ministry of Finance, Ishaq Dar chaired an inter-ministerial follow-up meeting on anti-smuggling measures at Finance Division on Friday. The meeting reviewed the progress on anti-smuggling measures and roadmap to strengthen anti-smuggling regime in the country. The meeting was apprised that operations had been initiated against illegal cross-border movement of foreign currency, urea, wheat and other items by Customs, law enforcement and intelligence agencies. It was decided that a regular review meeting on anti-smuggling operations would be held on a weekly basis.
Pakistan Customs, FIA and Interior ministry officials updated the meeting on their progress and suggested pragmatic measures to curb the menace of smuggling. Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Pasha, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor, secretary finance, secretary interior, DG I&I Customs, Member Customs, ADG FIA and senior officers from Finance Division participated in the meeting.
Anti-Smuggling Operations in Balochistan: Based on specific information regarding smuggling of hashish to Punjab from Quetta received from DG I&I Faiz Ahmad Chadhar, directions were issued by Director I&I, Quetta Mr Choudhary Muhammad Javaid to form a special team for interception of same under the leadership of Deputy Directo, Fahad Bashir consisting of Intelligence Officers Hamid Habib and Muhammad Nasr Ullah along with Sepoys.
Acting on aforementioned information, staff of I&I Quetta cautioned a Honda Accord bearing registration No. ANL-880 to stop near Jalogir Mor, Saray Khawaray. The driver sped away but vehicle was chased by the staff of I&I, Quetta. Seeing this, the driver left the car off the road and escaped under the cover of darkness. Vehicle was brought to Regional Office, Quetta and search led to recovery of 200kg charas of high quality, which had been artfully concealed in various cavities. Value of recovered narcotics is Rs220 million in the international market.