PCG seizes 193kg of hashish, contraband items

Personnel of the Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) on Tuesday seized a huge quantity of hashish being smuggled from Uthal, Balochistan, and contraband items from the RCD Highway near Naka Khari check-post in Windar.

According to a spokesperson for the PCG, on the special instructions of Director General PCG Brigadier Saqib Qamar about a zero-tolerance on the smuggling of narcotics, the PCG had intensified its efforts to curb the menace of drug trafficking from its area of responsibility.

Acting on credible information from intelligence resources about the smuggling of narcotics in Uthal and on the RCD Highway, a raid was carried out by a PCG special mobile patrol. The officials stopped a suspicious truck loaded with apple crates and 193 kilograms of hashish hidden in the apple crates was seized.

The PCG officials seized a huge quantity of contraband items that included 3,285 kilograms of betel nuts, 920 packets of Indian gutka, 685 packets of naswar, 76 bags of China salt, 17 tyres and curtain cloth from the RCD Highway. The value of the contraband items and hashish in the international market is Rs222.16 million.

During a routine check of a coach on Super Highway, the PCG officials recovered a 30 bore pistol with two magazines from a passenger traveling from Swat to Karachi. Moreover, the PCG officials also apprehended five illegal Pakistani immigrants on account of an illegal border crossing along with border areas and Gwadar. They were proceeding to Iran without passports and other valid documents.

Customs steps up action

The Pakistan Customs, Anti-Smuggling Unit, has started enforcement action in coordination with other law enforcement agencies. Irfan Ali, spokesman for the customs, said that, in line with the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Steering Committee on Anti-smuggling, the Pakistan Customs, being the country’s leading anti-smuggling organisation, has accordingly stepped up enforcement actions in coordination with other law enforcement agencies.