KARACHI: The Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Peshawar in collaboration with Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) Peshawar has started a grand blockade and surveillance operation of main arteries of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in order to check the menace of smuggling of contraband goods and movement of anti social elements to transfer banned goods in parts of the country.

On the directives of Director General Customs Intelligence Imtiaz Ahmad the Collector MCC Peshawar Qurban Ali Khan was heading the operation. The focal persons of the operation are Ziaullah Shams Additional Director and Fazle-Samad an Additional Collector. Khayal Muhammad Deputy Director and Ali Asad Assistant Collector are head of the operation.

In this connection, a flag march with a number of vehicles of the Customs officials and personnel of securities agencies passed through the different main routes of the Peshawar during 9pm. The routes supposed to put of strict surveillance and under blockade to check the smuggling were including Ring Road, Motorway M-I heading to Islamabad, Jamrud Road, Grand Trunk Road, Charsadda Road and other allied main roads.

Customs teams from different cities are also participating in the operation, additional force to reinforce the operation is also called on.

The police and other law enforcement agencies were providing security backup during the operation. It is the first of such operation in the history of Pakistan Customs in curbing the menace of smuggling in the country.

Nisar Muhammad Khan the Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is from the Customs Group and due to his untiring efforts the Customs department in the nook and corner of the country was on its feet to control the smuggling of every type.

According to sources, Nisar Khan, Imtiaz Ahmad and member Customs Nasir Masroor are preparing a proposal to constitute a Customs Border Force. This would act like Motorway Police and training of the personnel would be handed over to security agency. It is in the proposal that salary and other benefits of the new squad members would be so attractive that they could not be enticed by any mean or institution to shun their mission.