KARACHI: MCC Peshawar has foiled a bid to smuggle urea to Afghanistan and seized 18,000 bags of urea along with six trailers at Torkham.
According to the details of the case, Collector Peshawar Qurban Ali Shah received information that an attempt would be made to smuggle urea in the garb of flour. He formed a team headed by Additional Collector Fazl-e-Samad comprising Deputy Collector Ali Asad, Superintendent Naseer Afridi, Deputy Superintendent Al-Haj Gul and Inspector Ronak Zaman.
The team found the suspected trailers at Torkham border. The unscrupulous elements had not filed the Goods Declaration for export. On inspection, it was found that the urea bags were layered under the wheat flour bags.
No one appeared to claim the ownership of the goods. The urea worth Rs50.4 million was seized along with the vehicles and the same were brought to MCC Peshawar with the help of military and Khasadar force.
An FIR has been lodged and flour mill where these trailers were loaded would be involved into the investigations.
It is interesting to note that despite strict monitoring and surveillance by Customs authorities, the goods reached Torkham border.
It may be recalled that in past then Director I&I Quetta Iqbal Bhawana had seized a large quantity of fertilizer, which was being smuggled to Afghanistan. It is suspected that the fertilizer was being smuggled to Afghanistan where it could be used for explosive devices.
It may be mentioned here that the smugglers of fertilizer have filed a suit against Iqbal Bhawana for cracking their dirt business down. Now, smugglers have started smuggling these things to Peshawar.
Collector MCC Quetta Saeed Jadoon, Additional Collector Dr. Fareed Khan, Deputy Collector Amanullah Tareen, Director I&I Irfan-ur-Rehman, Deputy Director Inamullah Wazir are credited for eliminating smuggling to and from Afghanistan.