FAISALABAD: Chief Collector Enforcement (Central) Faiz Ahmed has advised the field formations to gear-up the anti-smuggling activities.
A field formation meeting was held under the chair of Chief Collector Central Faiz Ahmed, and was attended by Collector AFU Lahore Azmat Tahira, Collector Preventive Lahore Basit Abbasi, Collector Multan Muneeza Majeed and others.
Faiz Ahmed issued the directives to further strengthen the intelligence network and launch a crackdown on smuggled goods whether at warehouses, markets or being transported. Customs Enforcement – Central Region accelerated anti smuggling momentum.
During the past few days, Customs Enforcement-Central Region has conducted three intelligence based operations.
Information was passed through Collector Multan Muneeza Majeed to Additional Collector Ghulam Nabi Kamboh
Information was passed through Collector Preventive Lahore Basit Abbasi regarding movement of smuggled goods. subsequently, a truck carrying smuggled milk powder, whey powder was intercepted by ASO of MCC (E&C), Lahore in the wee hours of 08.06.20 near Minar-e Pakistan Lahore. This truck had hoodwinked all the anti smuggling and Customs Intelligence outfits from Iran borders upto Lahore.
Search of the truck led to recovery and seizure of 17.32 tons of Milk/Whey Powder and 1.75 tons of Citric Acid (Monohydrate). Total value of seizure (inclusive of truck) comes to Rs22 million. FIR has been registered and further investigations are underway. Chief collector Faiz Ahmed has ordered detailed inquiry into the smuggling of goods from Iran despite the fact border with the neighbouring country is closed.
Information was passed through Collector Muneeza Majeed to Additional Collector Ghulam Nabi Kamboh, and a specially constituted team of Customs Enforcement Collectorate while observing legal requirements of obtaining Search Warrants conducted a raid on a godown located in Badami Bagh, Lahore.
Shelled American Almonds weighing 3.72 tons worth Rs11 million were seized. Further investigations are being conducted to unearth the modus operandi/ phenomena of smuggling of this high value item.
Moreover, Customs Anti-smuggling staff Faisalabad busted a warehouse in the posh residential area of Civil Lines Faisalabad City seizing huge quantity of high value Curtain cloth valuing Rs44 million.
Total value of seized goods in these three intelligence based anti-smuggling operations is Rs77 million.