KARACHI: A special custom mobile squad of Pakistan Customs, Peshawar arrested three persons including a passenger, a driver of a vehicle and facilitator after recovery of 1600 I–phones and Smart phones worth rupees 50 million.
The recovery was made after a tip off was received by Collector Customs, Model Customs Collectorate (MCC-Peshawar) Qurban Ali Khan about a bid to smuggle in latest model phones. He ordered a hundred per cent search and scanning of all baggage.
The Survelliance Cameras footage spotted Inspector Aziz-ur-Rahman alleged to be a close relative of a MPA of a political party and Inspector Waseem Khan also having a political background facilitating the smugglers to cross the custom counter. As soon as the smuggler passenger came out of the airport along with a person who received him at the airport and boarded a car , Custom Mobile squad intercepted and arrested them including driver of the car recovering 1600 phones which were then confiscated.
According to custom laws, the inspector were also liable to be booked under the Customs Act 1969 and suspended but due to pressure from some quarters, they were only punished with “Duty Off “.
Prior to this action, Collector Customs in view of complaints about smuggling on regular basis ordered increasing the duration of recording of Closed Circuit Cameras.