LAHORE: Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I Lahore) has seized large quantity of smuggled sofa curtain fabric in an operation conducted with the coordination of MCC Appraisement Lahore.
Information was received that huge cache of smuggled goods, which arrived from Quetta through Nabhi Bakhash smuggler and destined to Islamabad by transportation through Munir Fauji smuggler, an operation was ordered by Collector Basit Maqsood Abbasi along with Director Saima Aftab under command of Additional Collector Hassan Farid, Custom intelligence Lahore.
To recall, a recently a video went viral in which Nabhi Bukhash can be seen harassing CIA Rajanpur and threatening the government for stopping his trucks.
I&I Lahore jointly with MCC Preventive Lahore conducted raid on the Addda of Munir Fauji, a notorious smuggler based in Rawalpindi, in Bathi chowk Lahore.
This led to recovery of furnishing cloth of sofa and curtain of approximately 25 mazda truck loads. Value of the goods is approximately Rs300 million.
According to sources Prime Minister Imran Khan held a meeting with Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Pakistan Customs was asssigned the task to elminate smuggling.
All the law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies are assisting Customs, being the lead authority in this anti-smuggling drive.
FBR apprised the PM about the shortage of resources, and within the last two years Customs have been provided with sufficient resources including arms and equipment, which has resulted in significant decline in smuggling.
It is, however, in LAhore only that I&I and Appraisement are conducting joint operations; this pattern should be adopted across the country.