Customs Anti-Smuggling Organisation in-charge held for facilitating smugglers

KARACHI: The in-charge officer and three other personnel of the Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO) of the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation CustomsKarachi have been arrested on the charge of while providing illegal protection to smugglers.

The customs intelligence director has launched a probe into the charge of alleged misconduct by the four ASO personnel, including its in-charge official, Irshad Shah, after sending them off duty.

ASO in-charge Shah, intelligence officer Kafeel, and two soldiers were allegedly found escorting two vehicles belonging to the smugglers in the jurisdiction of Balochistan beyond the Mochko checkpost. The personnel belonging to a sensitive agency stopped the convoy, and upon checking it was found that smuggled items were loaded on both the vehicles being escorted by personnel belonging to the customs intelligence.

A senior officer was summoned to the spot, and afterwards a preliminary probe was launched, which continued for several hours. The detained personnel were given permission to leave after the senior officials gave the assurance of properly investigating the incident.

The four ASO personnel were sent off duty in the first stage of the investigation. A panel comprising senior officials will now probe into the incident. The decision to take further action against the accused personnel will be taken based on the probe report.

When contacted, Customs Intelligence Karachi Director Engineer Habib confirmed to Daily Jang that the accused ASO personnel had been sent off duty but he emphasised that only an accusation was pending against them.

The Customs official said nothing could be said with certainity till the completion of the investigation. He advised this scribe to wait for a few more days for clarity on the issue.

On the other hand, Customs sources said the ASO in-charge was a principal appraiser, and it was inappropriate to assign him field duty. The sources said that similar complaints had been lodged against the in-charge officer in the past too.