KARACHI: Pakistan Customs has been given two high-speed fiber reinforced plastic boats built by the Karachi Shipyard and Karachi Shipyard Engineering Works (KSEW) to combat the menace of smuggling.

The handing over was held in Karachi and Advisor to Prime Minister on finance Miftah Ismail presided over the ceremony.  These boats have been prepared with a cost of Rs270 million and each boat can house 10 persons.

The event was also attended by Managing Director KSEW, Secretary PNSC and Chief Collector Enforcement South Manzoor Memon,. Chief Collector Appraisement South Abdul Rasheed Shaikh, Director General Transit Trade Javed Ghani, Collector Preventive Dr. Iftikhar, Director Afghan Transit Zeba Azhar, collector Port Qasim Chaudry Javed, Collector Appraisement East Saaed Akram, Collector Appraisement West Ashad Jawad, Director WeBOC Wajid Ali, Director RMS Shehnaz Maqbool, Collector Adjudication Tahir Qureshi and other officers.

Additional Collectors Aamir theim,  Sanaullah Abro, Deputy Collectors Mohammad Faisal, Nausheen Riaz, Assistant Collectors Ameer Khan and Ms. Nayab were also present.

The boats have a speed of 30 nautical miles per hour and guns of 7.6mm caliber can be fitted in the front and 12mm guns can be installed in the rear.

Pakistan Customs had last received boats in 1988. One boat Shaheen was purchased in 1975 named Shaheen, Barbarosa was purchased in 1980, Al-Sayadeen and Himayat Siddiqui were acquired in 1986 and Challenger was acquired in 1988.

Sindh and Jeewani Balochistan come under MCC Preventive while Gwadar being an operational port and does not have boats. These two new boats are a welcome step but the Customs need atleast 10 more such boats to cover the area in its jurisdiction.