KARACHI: Railway Police Karachi is creating hurdles in the way of Customs anti-smuggling organization (ASO) operations. Railway Police is said to be patronizing transportation and storage of smuggled goods.

ASO of MCC Preventive conducted a raid Railway cargo yard on Saturday and recovered smuggled betel nut, however, Railway Police led by Superintendent of Police Shahbaz Elahi is stopping the Customs staff.

Railway police even erected barricades to stop ASO vehicles. ASO vehicles were allowed to remove smuggled goods to ASO offices by the police till the filing of this report.

Information was received through Collector Preventive Saquif Saeed that smuggled goods had been transported from upcountry to Karachi through railway. On the directives of Additional Collector Haroon Waqar Malik, Deputy Collector Muhammad Asim Awan formed a team comprising Superintendents Jamal Zia and Iftikhar Hasan and others to conduct a raid at railway yard.

The ASO staff reached the spot and recovered smuggled betel nut. The goods were loaded in the vehicles, but Railway Police led by SP Shahbaz Ealahi came to the rescue of smugglers and exchanged heated words with Customs staff, despite the fact anti-smuggling is the jurisdiction of Customs ASO.

An official said that during earlier raid at the railway yard, SP Shahbaz Elahi had created much troubles for the ASO team and favored the smugglers. He said it seemed Railway Police was patronizing the transportation of smuggled goods.