Customs seizes smuggled diesel

KARACHI: The anti-smuggling wing of customs intelligence has seized bulk quantity of smuggled Iranian diesel oil from a dumping place, located in a populated area of the city, officials said on Thursday.
According to the details, the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation (Anti-Smuggling), Karachi last night raided a dumping place for petroleum products located in North Karachi Industrial Area and seized 40,000 litres of the Iranian diesel.
Asif Marghoob Siddiqui, Director, Customs Intelligence, confirmed the seizure and said the directorate received information that the smuggled diesel oil was being supplied to many parts of the city.
He said, "It is alarming that the godown was located in the mid of the industrial and public area, which might have caused a huge human loss in case of any incident."
Few months back customs authorities with the help of district administration demolished around 70 petrol pumps in different parts of Karachi which were operational without NOC and involved in selling smuggled POL products.
The officials said some of those people might have shifted their business to dodge the authorities. “It is the first ever case, where underground tank was being used for supplying the smuggled oil,” they said.
The authorities seized a fuel van as well and arrested a person present on the spot.
The event has been shared with Commissioner, CCOP and Pakistan Rangers, Sindh for consolidated action against culprits involved in such heinous crime.