KARACHI: The grand operation conducted by Police at Yusuf Goth Karachi against smugglers and smuggled goods turned out to be a hoax, as all the activity at Yusuf Goth resumed the very next day of the crackdown.
Sindh Police launched a massive crackdown on the warehouses (dumping yard), of smuggled goods coming from Quetta and Gwadar, at Yusuf Goth and recovered foreign origin goods worth Rs250 million.
Based on reports that Yusuf Goth had become a hub of trading, dumping and distribution of smuggled goods, a sensitive agency had issued an alert to the law enforcement agencies. Accordingly, Police launched a crackdown, but without taking Pakistan Customs onboard.
It may be mentioned here that anti-smuggling is primarily the domain of Pakistan Customs. Although, Customs joined the Yusuf Goth crackdown, but it was only the Police show.
Sources said Police was quite lenient with the unscrupulous elements as none of notorious smugglers were arrested, while the goods seized were only a fraction of the smuggled items present on the spot.
Sources said all the activities had resumed at Yusuf Goth as smuggled goods coming from Gwadar and Quetta are still being dumped, traded and distributed from Yusuf Goth.
These foreign origin goods come from Quetta and Gwadar through five established routes and dumped at Yusuf Goth, from here the same distributed to the markets in the province.
Sources said the smugglers had developed an understanding with the security agencies and Rs100,000 were fixed for Saeedabad Police Station for each container and Rs25,000 for each bus carrying smuggled goods. Moreover, Rs30,000 are fixed for Municipal Corporation each container and Rs10,000 for each bus.
Sources said Chief of Army Staff was keenly observing the country’s economic situation and directives had been issued to curb smuggling, money laundering and financial terrorism.