Customs seizes 2.5 tonnes of smuggled hazardous waste

The personnel of the Pakistan Customs Collectorate on Saturday seized 2.5 tonnes of smuggled hazardous waste.

According to Syed Irfan Ali, a spokesperson for Customs, the operation was carried out following a tip-off received by Collector Customs Enforcement Karachi Moinuddin Ahmed Wani. Acting on the information, the Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO) squad of the Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Karachi, stationed at the Moachko Check Post on the RCD Highway, intercepted an edible oil tanker coming from Hub, Balochistan.

During the inspection, officials recovered 245 bags of hazardous waste weighing a total of 2,500 kilograms (2.5 tons) concealed within the compartments of the tanker. The seized waste was estimated to be worth Rs2 million. The oil tanker, valued at Rs10 million, was also confiscated.

The total value of the seized items stands at Rs12 million. Both the waste and the tanker had been shifted to the ASO warehouse. A case has been registered under the Customs Act, and further legal proceedings are underway.