LAHORE: Upon Directions of Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi and Director Asad Raza Rizvi, an operation was carried out jointly and led by Additional Director Custom Intelligence Lahore Hassan Farid seizing large quantity of smuggled goods.
Custom Intelligence along with MCC preventive Lahore raided a godown of Nabhi Bakhash, the infamous smuggler, in Misri Shah and detained a 22 wheeler truck having clothes, betel nut and cigarettes etc.
Subsequently, the joint team of MCC preventive Lahore and Directorate I&I Lahore intercepted a 40 feet container of Haji Sadiq at Misri Shah. On spot, brothers of haji Sadiq, Ateeq along with a mob offered armed resistance to the customs team and opened straight firing on Customs team and Gulzar Bhatti intelligence officer was beaten harshly and received severe injuries.
Despite sustaining injuries, both teams countered the heavy resistance at their own and got hold of the container fully loaded with smuggled tyres and welding rods.
In the process, three criminals were arrested along with illegal weapon and FIR has been lodged by MCC preventive Lahore and separate FIR has also been registered in Police Station Misri Shah.
A joint team has been constituted to arrest other culprits and police is also accompanying for arrest of these hardened criminals.
It may be mentioned here that in the wake of FATF review and to take the country out of the gray list, PM Imran Khan has ordered a crackdown on smuggling and money laundering.
In line with the directives of PM Imran Khan, I&I Lahore and MCC Lahore are coordinating and targeting the big fish.