Eight trucks with smuggled goods seized

LAHORE:Collectorate of Customs Enforcement and Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation have seized eight containers worth of approximately Rs400 million, owned by alleged notorious smuggler Nabi Bux, said Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi in a press conference held here on Thursday.

Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation Director Ms Saima Aftab shared the details and said preliminary examination of the goods revealed that the detained trucks were of New Balochistan goods Co owned by Nabi Bux and comprised of miscellaneous goods like fabric, tyres, milk, juice, dry fruits, welding electrodes, etc.

The estimated value of the goods is approx Rs400 million, she said. Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi said, “Not only storage places of the smuggled goods were targeted but surveillance at strategic points of all road networks was maintained. He added, “The anti-smuggling drive was supervised by Collectorate of Customs Enforcement and the Director, Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation. Hectic efforts produced reliable information to the effect that notorious racket of smugglers was transporting containers loaded with smuggled goods to Lahore.”

The collector said, “Through effective planning and clinical accuracy the operations were planned in four districts - Okara, Sahiwal, Kasur and Lahore simultaneously.” According to Basit Maqsood Abbasi, a joint team was constituted and field operations were led by Additional Director Hassan Fareed and Assistant Collector Ms Sidra Naz while the operation was carried out under Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi and Director Ms Saima Aftab.

“During the first quarter of the financial year 2021-22, in pursuance of various anti-smuggling operations on roads and dumping and storage places inside and outside city limits of Lahore, the Collectorate of Enforcement and Directorate of I&I made 141 seizures of miscellaneous goods like POL products, cloth, cigarettes, auto parts, fabrics, betel nuts, skimmed milk, welding rods, tyres, luxury vehicles and electronics. The net value of seized goods during first quarter of 2020-21 was Rs3800 million which is way higher than the value of seized goods in first quarter of 2020-21,” he said. The real contribution of the counter smuggling drive is increasing the cost of smuggling and creating deterrence for the smugglers while enhancing the potential revenue from legal trade. The Customs has taken bull by the horns and taken robust steps in dealing with the biggest smuggling rackets of the country creating a significant dent to the smuggling and trade in smuggled goods, Director Ms Saima Aftab.