KARACHI: DG-Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) R/Admiral Jamil Akhtar informed in media brief at HQ-PMSA that last night a suspicious boat was intercepted at open sea. During boarding of that boat, 12,400 bottles/cans of illegal high quality liquor worth Rs60 million was seized. The boat along with six smuggler were arrested.

The apprehended liquor and apprehended crew will be handed over to Pakistan Customs for further legal proceedings. He further highlighted that arrested smugglers belong to Pakistan and investigation is in process to catch men behind them.

PMSA is ever ready to perform its assigned tasks as PMSA is responsible for Anti-Narcotics, Anti-Smuggling and Anti-Poaching operations, which is being conducted on regular basis. He also added that PMSA had apprehended more than 100 Indian Fishing Boats and thousands of Indian Fishermen in anti-poaching operations on Eastern side but on the other side PMSA has not any issue of illegal fishing from IRAN or Gulf Countries.

R/Admiral Jamil Akhtar also informed that Maritime patrol vessels will be added in PMSA fleet in cooperation with Pak Navy and Ministry of Defence 02 x MPVs will be constructed at Karachi Shipyard with cooperation with CHINA and will be handed by Dec 2016. Moreover 04 x MPVs will be constructed at CHINA.

Custom collector Tariq, LT Cdr Wajid Nawaz PN and LT Imran Bhalai PN were also present in media brief.