KARACHI: Customs Enforcement Karachi has seized large quantity of smuggled tyres and engine/hydraulic oil worth Rs541.12 million from godown at Gul Bai and arrested one person namely Shahnawaz.

Pursuant to directives of Chairman FBR and Member Customs (Operations), intelligence based operations have been started to curb the menace of smuggling. A new Enforcement team has assumed charge, and they have started raiding warehouses and dumping places of smuggled goods.

An official said a mammoth quantity of smuggled goods such as betel nut, gutkha, and other foreign origin goods are dumped at various places at Gul Bai. More raids will be conducted on these dumping places going forward.

Previously, raids were conducted on warehouses and recovered smuggled goods, but they were victimized by the flawed judicial system discouraging the anti-smuggling campaign.

A credible information was received through Collector Enforcement Bajwa to Additional Collector Muhammad Faisal that huge quantity of smuggled tyres are brought to Karachi and dumped at a godown near Maripur District West. Muhammad Faisal is very experienced in anti-smuggling operations. During his tenure as Deputy Collector ASO in Karachi, Muhammad Faisal made several high-profile cases.

The informer further divulged that in order to ensure safe transportation to local market and up-country and to defraud customs enroute checking mechanism, smugglers are using different embossing/alteration instruments to change the specifications, serial numbers, sizes and manufacturing dates to make them exactly as per the import GDs of other imported consignments.

Assistant Collector Muhammad Faizan Arif formed the ASO team to raid the godown. Keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue, a search warrant was obtained from Judicial Magistrate, Karachi West. A thorough and long search was carried out, which resulted in recovery of foreign origin tyres and engine oil, hydrolic oil worth Rs541.12 million.

Since the quantities are unprecedentedly huge, the same have been shifted to State warehouse. FIR has been lodged.

It may be mentioned here that one person Shahnawaz Khan tried to cause hindrance on account of his claim as owner of the godown. He was arrested and is under 5-day physical remand.