KARACHI: The processing of smuggled betel nuts in Karachi had become a very lucrative business and its smugglers had posed numerous challenges to the officers and officials in discharging their official duties.

The Collectorate of customs Enforcement Karachi successfully conducted some daring road chases and seized a huge quantity of smuggled betel nuts along with the conveyances being used in the act of its smuggling.

However, to nip the evil in the bud, a strategy was devised to conduct a crackdown against the factories where the smuggled betel nuts are being processed in order to curtail its demand and minimize the risks posed to the staff at the hands of mafia involved in this illegal business.

On the directives of Collector Feroz Alam Junejo and Additional Collector Hoonak Baloch, the anti-smuggling organization of MCC Preventive Karachi le by Assistant Collector Shafiullah conducted an operation in S.I.T.E Area, Karachi after fulfillment of all legal formalities and recovered 1,920 PP bags containing foreign origin betel nuts, total weighing 48 tons and 200 cartons of sweet supari, total weighing 6 tons.

The total value of seized smuggled goods is Rs54 million. Similarly, the anti-smuggling organization conducted another operation in S.I.T.E Area, Karachi and recovered 358 PP bags containing foreign origin betel nut  weighing 15.3 tons valuing Rs15.3 million.

FIRs against the owners were lodged accordingly. The blockade of supplies to the factories along with seizure of betel nut from some of the factory premises/godowns has brought the processing of smuggled betel nuts to a halt in Karachi.

All the factories involved in such practices are being monitored closely and an immediate action will be taken against them if found processing the smuggled betel nuts.