KARACHI: Directorate of Customs Intelligence & Investigation (Enforcement) Karachi has foiled a bid to smuggle mobile phones and recovered large quantity of phones worth over Rs4.0 million.
Information was received that there are some unscrupulous elements in trade, which in active connivance with some lower staff/officials posted at Jinnah International Airport (JIAP), Karachi are involved in smuggling of restricted items like mobiles phones, transmission equipment etc.
Samina Tasleem Zehra, the Director (Enforcement) Karachi chaired meeting on the issue and directed Syed Ali Zaman Gardezi, Additional Director to take some concrete measures.
Airport team in supervision of Shah Faisal Sahu, Deputy Director kept an active vigil on passengers and goods being imported/cleared from JIAP.
Consequently, Customs I&I staff recovered two suspicious plastic shopping bags dumped outside the Domestic Cargo Gate at JIAP Cargo Terminal, Karachi. On preliminary inquiry, no one came forward to claim the ownership of the bags. Cursory, on spot examination of the bags found mobile/cellular phones. The bags were brought to the office of the Directorate General and detailed examination was conducted, which resulted into recovery of 96 smart phones without accessories. The approximate market value of the goods is Rs4.032 million.
The goods have been seized and investigations are under way. The JIAP team is on high alert to discourage such incidents in future.