KARACHI: The MCC Quetta in two separate operations conducted with the assistance of FC Quetta has seized huge quantity of smuggled goods worth over Rs2.0 million.
Information was received by the Collector of Customs Saeed Jadoon, which was communicated to the Assistant Collector Preventive that foreign origin smuggled goods will be transported from Quetta to down cities.
Accordingly, Customs staff with the assistance of FC staff stopped two separate vehicles loaded with foreign origin smuggled goods. These goods included tyres, rims, auto parts, perfumes, veterinary medicines etc.
Since, no legal import documents of the said goods were produce by anyone at the spot, the staff of Custom took possession of above mentioned trucks alongwith smuggled goods and seized the same for violation of various provisions of laws.
It may be mentioned here that Customs led by Chairman Nisar Mohammad Khan and para-military forces under the guidance of Army Chief General Raheel Shareef are pursuing a rigorous anti-smuggling campaign despite pressure by local influential and protest strikes by traders/smugglers of Balochistan.
Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef and military leadership are committed to root out terrorism from the country and as part of the strategy the funding lines of these terrorist and anti-social elements are being closed down. It is an established fact that money made through smuggling funds such elements.
Chief Collector Enforcement Zahid Khokhar, Collector Saeed Jadoon, Maj Gen Sher Afghan of FC, Inspector General Police Balochistan Ahsan Mehboob remained in a close coordination in pursuing the anti-smuggling campaign in Balochistan. Resultantly, the illicit traders, smugglers and other such elements have been agitating against Customs, FC and Police.
Sources said that the authorities including FC, Customs and Police have not succumbed to protests, strikes and shutter downs in Balochistan and the campaign would to continuing in full pace.
There are reports that the facilitators and patrons of these smugglers have been identified and these patrons are also included political figures. It is anticipated that action would be taken against them as intelligence is being collected against such separatists and provincial politicians.
An official said that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is of the view that under the leadership of General Raheel Sahrif, there has been an efficient coordination between para-military forces, law enforcement agencies and FBR, which resulted in significant success against smuggling.