KARACHI: In order to finalize the grand crackdown against smuggling, Director General Intelligence & Investigation (I&I) Customs, Imtiaz Ahmed has reached Karachi and had meetings with Asif Marghoob Siddiqui Director ASO I&I and Nadeem Ahsan Additional Director.
Imtiaz Ahmed also had meetings with Chief Collector Appraisement South Abdul Rasheed Shaikh, Chief Collector Enforcement South Zahid Khokhar and Collector Preventive Tariq Huda. These officers would have a meeting with DG Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar on Thursday to deliberate upon the anti-smuggling strategy.
On Thursday, Imtiaz Ahmed would meet Director Enforcement I&I Yaqoob Mako, Additional Director Farrukh Sajjad and Deputy Director Amjad Rajpar.
Sources said these meetings are meant to final such a strategy that would leave no space for smugglers and unscrupulous elements.
As part of Zarb-e-Azb, the government and military leadership is committed to root out terrorism from the country and it needs to cut all funding lines to these elements. There is enough evidence that money made through smuggling is funding terrorists and anti-social elements.
Customs authorities have taken all concerned departments on board including civil administration, law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
It was known the authorities have done all homework as markets and warehouses housing smuggled goods have been identified. Directorate General of I&I Customs is supervising this anti-smuggling campaign whereas Director Asif Marghoob Siddiqui and Collector Tariq Huda would run the show.
Sources said that the smugglers and unscrupulous elements had developed their connections everywhere and move forward several unknown trade bodies, which were created as pressure groups to shield their wrongdoings.
Sources said the authorities were expecting such a reaction when markets would be raided and to deal with such situations law enforcement agencies had been taken onboard.
Sources said even there were some black sheep in the prestigious profession of journalism, which were causing a bad impression of journalist fraternity which mostly comprised of honest and professional people.
Sources said the unscrupulous elements could also use the services of some newsmen probably belonging to two different Urdu newspapers to create distraction that could derail the anti-smuggling campaign. Therefore, the authorities were also looking into the connections of trade bodies and journalists with suspicious elements.
Talking to Customnews.pk, DG I&I Customs Imtiaz Ahmed said the prime purpose of his visit to Karachi was to meet with officers in Karachi and added the government was pursuing the anti-smuggling policy and Customs would do its job.