KARACHI: Directorate of Customs Intelligence Quetta on the directives of Director General Customs Intelligence & Investigation Shaukat Ali has initiated a crackdown against movement of smuggled goods particularly Irani diesel.

The Directorate has been advised to investigate on the lines whether any oil marketing company (OMC) was involved in the distruibution or sale/purchase of this smuggled commodity.

The Directorate in the last couple of days seized huge quantity of diesel, contrabands and other non duty-paid foreign origin goods including 400,000 litres of diesel smuggled from Iran worth Rs30 million in Mastung and Quetta districts.

It was learnt that the authorities have found invoices issued by some leading OMCs and on the basis of these invoices, smuggled diesel was being distributed to fuel stations.

The directorate has initiated investigations and verification whether these invoices issued by oil marketing companies are fake or were actually issued by the OMCs. Officials doubt that the invoices were issued by some OMCs, who were involved in the business of supplying smuggled diesel causing loss to the economy.

Customs has also seized 5,000 mobile phones from a fielder car coming from Afghanistan near Yaro. Moreover 185 KGs of Charas has also been recovered from a car on Chaman Quetta road.

Overall, the value of smuggled goods comes around Rs90 million.