KARACHI: The Anti-smuggling Organization (ASO) of MCC Preventive Lahore has recovered large quantity of smuggled dry fruits worth Rs250 million from cold storages in Lahore.

Information was received from Collector Preventive Faiz Ahmad Collector regarding presence of smuggled commodities in certain cold storage houses. Subsequently, on the directives of Additional Collector ASO Tayyaba Kayani, Deputy Collector Moazzam Raza formed a team headed by Superintendent Agha Qadeer Haider.

The team comprising Inspectors Nasir Saeed, Shahid Khan, Amjad Khan, Shahid Bhatti, Abdul Rehman Butt, Sajjad Bukhari, Zafar Khan, Yasir, Abu Ul Hassan, Anjum Sheraz, Azam Wattoo and Maratab Mushtaq  raided at Mian Farooq Cold Storage Salamatpura Daroghawala Lahore.

The non-duty-paid goods include dry apricot, fig, ground nut, tamarind almonds, red chilli, coconut etc. The value of these items is Rs.250 million. A case has been registered and  investigations are under way.

The legal import of spices, fruits and dry fruits has stopped as former Minister Sukandar Hayat Bosan made quarantine certificate mandatory for these imports.

These restrictions led to smuggling of these goods while Customs Intelligence and Investigation patronized control smuggling.