Smuggled goods worth Rs700m seized in Quetta

QUETTA: The Customs authorities seized smuggled goods worth Rs700 million during two different search operations in the provincial capital on Saturday.
“Rs 500 million cloth of high quality, and Rs200 million hashish and tyres were confiscated from hidden cavities of two trucks, Collector of Customs Zahoor Akhtar Raja said while addressing a press conference at the Customs office.
Deputy Collector of Customs, Dr Amir Nawaz and other officials were also present.
He said the Customs authorities seized 100,000 meters of printed and plain fabric of high quality and 300 tyres worth more than Rs500 million during snap checking at Baleli Check Post, the entry point of Quetta.
Similarly, in another raid, the Customs and Frontier Corps carried out a joint venture and seized 1,253kg of hashish kept in secret cavities of a truck after a brief chase of the vehicle,” Customs Collector said.
Giving details he said the Customs men signalled the driver of a truck but he did not obey and tried to escape without being checked. Later the driver of the truck managed to flee after short distance, leaving behind the truck. The Customs sleuths apprehended the truck and recovered hashish. The seized drug is worth Rs200 million in the international market, he said.
He also informed that the Customs, in a record seizure in the history of Quetta, apprehended 475kg of heroin, 27kg of opium and 123kg of morphine, all of which were worth Rs3 billion.
Zahoor Raja said Collectorate of Customs, Quetta is striving to curb smuggling and strengthen the economy through collecting revenue.