Bid to smuggle 6.6 tonnes of betel nut into Karachi foiled

The Customs Enforcement Karachi on on Monday thwarted an attempt to smuggle 6,600 kilograms of hazardous betel nut concealed beneath sand and gravel in a dumper truck.

Acting on confidential information received by Collector Customs Enforcement Moinuddin Wani, a team stationed at the Super Highway checkpoint intercepted the vehicle transporting the contraband from the interior of Sindh to Karachi. The seized betel nut, valued at approximately Rs6.6 million, was hidden under sand and gravel in a dumper truck. In total, 330 bags of the smuggled contraband were confiscated, along with the dumper truck, valued at Rs20 million, bringing the total value of the seizure to Rs26.6 million.

The confiscated goods had been transferred to the Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO) warehouse, and a case had been registered under the Customs Act, with further legal proceedings underway.

This operation marked the second major action byCustoms Enforcement recently. Earlier, the Enforcement Collectorate Karachi seized smuggled tyres worth Rs75 million in a successful operation. These actions underscore the Customs Enforcement Karachi's commitment to curbing smuggling activities.