QUETTA: Customs Quetta launched a crackdown against sugar smugglers and hoarders after Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the artificial shortage and subsequent price hike.

In the open market, the sugar price jumped up from Rs95 to Rs130 per kilo suddenly. This happened because of the massive smuggling of sugar to neighboring Afghanistan, traders and customers claimed.

Customs Quetta with the assistance of Police, FC and district administration raided Noshki Sugar Mills and recovered 10,000 bags of sugar and 1,200 bags of urea, cumulatively valuing Rs60 million.

In line with the directives of Federal Board of Revenue, Director General I&I Faiz Ahmed advised Director I&I Quetta Chaudry Muhammad Javed to focus on commodities smuggling.

A team led by Deputy Director Fahad Bashir comprising Inspector Hamid Habib and others launched a crackdown and recovered record quantity of sugar and urea, which were to be smuggled abroad.