Customs didn’t inform police before action: DPO

PESHAWAR: Despite police warning, the customs officials risked their lives by patrolling at night in which three officers were martyred by the smugglers on April 20, says a letter written by DPO Dera Ismail Khan. The Customs department, however, disagrees.

The letter, written to the customs department on April 19, advised the department to take precautionary measures and avoid night patrolling after the April 18 incident. However, the customs officials did not give any information to the police before patrolling at night due to which three customs officials were martyred on April 20.

DPO DI Khan Nasir Mahmood confirmed that the police had not been informed despite a written request after the first incident. He said the police were ready to cooperate with the customs officials that’s why he suggested that the customs officials should also conduct checks near the police stations and check posts.

“The police were not in the picture regarding the customs patrolling on April 20. They were 3km away from the police station and checkpost,” he said. A letter issued by the District Police Officer Dera Ismail Khan on April 19 to Collector Customs Enforcement DI Khan offered condolences on the tragic incident that occurred on April 18, 2024.

The DPO said, “It was my responsibility to apprise you of the consistent threat and peculiar security environment in the areas and request that you take precautionary measures, ensure that your staff’s movements are not part of daily routine, usual stop-over areas of field staff are voided and maximum caution is ensured during movement.

“Ensure to use all your resources for staff’s safety. Make sure that your mobile vehicles undertake their routine checking only at police checkpoints located on the main road. In case of any emergency, intimate the police station concerned as well as this office in advance for timely action”, he said.

Customs Collector DI Khan Karam Elahi said it was not a routine checking and precautions had been taken. It was a limited information-based operation in which the customs staff regularly engaged the enemy by returning fire and forced the enemy to flee; otherwise, in such incidents they also took weapons from the dead.

This is a terrorist incident and law-enforcement agencies police and army have been facing such incidents. The customs generally take precautions but sometimes there is paucity time to get information and process it. Limited action becomes necessary as needed. This is the second major fatality within a year in the type of work the customs does and in the area it does.

“It is also a fact that no matter how careful and prepared you are, terrorist incidents still happen. Our commitment is firm and, God willing, we will continue to fight against the menace of smuggling with more force and better strategy. We are grateful for the cooperation of the police and army and will continue to cooperate with them in the future,” said the letter.