KARACHI: The Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) of MCC Preventive Karachi has recovered huge quantity of betel nut (arica) and supari from a warehouse cum factory in Banaras area on Sunday.
Collector Saqif Saeed has assigned Additional Collector Haroon Waqar Malik, Deputy Collector Muhammad Asim Awan, Superintendent Jamal Zia and IPS Iftikhar Hasan to keep vigilance on the presence of smuggled goods at various warehouses.
Superintendent Jamal Zia and IPS Iftikhar Hasan, Malik Baloch, Preventive Officer Tauseef and large number of sepoys conducted a raid at the Nagina Motidana factory/warehouse in Banaras area. Around 160 tons of betel nut was found worth Rs150 million. Total value of the seizure is Rs161 million.
Movement of smuggled goods has almost stopped and traders have stocked certain goods to jack up the prices and profiteering. ASO Preventive has also shifted its focus on warehouses and godowns, and there will be a series of raids on such dumping placed.
Authorities have also found a container that had come from Port Qasim. It is being investigated whether the said container of betel nut had been cleared from MCC Port Qasim, or it was moved from warehouse in Port Qasim. The container trailer driver, watchmen and another person at the warehouse were arrested.
It is a huge recovery. Betel nut was being dumped at the said warehouse, as the borders with Iran and Afghanistan are closed. A trader said that smuggling from neighboring countries had almost stopped and prices of certain goods including betel nut are likely to shoot up in the coming days.
It may be mentioned here that FBR, on the directives of Advisor Finance Hafeez Sheikh, has tightened controls on smuggling and revenue leakage.