KARACHI: Customs Enforcement Karachi conducted a major raid in Yousuf Goth and recovered 12-truck loads of smuggled goods worth Rs16.8 million, which was dumped there.
The Chief Collector of Customs Enforcement Karachi, Mr. Yakub Mako and Collector Enforcement, Mr. Basit Maqsood Abbasi continuously monitored this operation. While the Additional Collector of Customs Mr. Amanullah Tarin led the team comprising of the Deputy Collector Mr. Asfandyar, Assistant Collector Mr. Zulfiqar Shaikh and SPS ASO Mr. Azhar Malik, along with other preventive officers.
The raid was part of a crackdown against smuggling, which had been plaguing the country’s economy for decades. Smuggling not only deprived the government of revenue, but also harmed the local industries and consumers. Smuggled goods, such as betel nut, electronics, tyres, and auto parts, flooded the market with low-quality and cheap products, undercutting the legitimate businesses and endangering the public health and safety.
The customs department had been struggling to curb smuggling for a long time, but faced many challenges and obstacles. They had limited resources and manpower, and often faced resistance and interference from the smugglers and their powerful patrons. Many customs officers and officials were either bribed or threatened by the smugglers, or pressured by their higher-ups, politicians, and ministers to turn a blind eye to the illegal trade. Some of them even colluded with the smugglers and facilitated their operations.
But things had changed since General Asim Munir took charge of the army. He had made it clear that smuggling was a national security threat and a menace to the society. He had given a free hand to the customs department to take action against the smugglers, and assured them of full support from the army and other security agencies. He had also warned the corrupt elements within the customs and other departments to mend their ways or face the consequences.
The customs department had welcomed the army chief’s initiative and had launched a series of operations across the country to bust the smuggling networks and seize their goods. They had also intensified their intelligence gathering and surveillance to identify and track the smugglers and their hideouts. They had also increased their coordination and cooperation with the other law enforcement agencies, such as the Rangers, the police, and the Federal Investigation Agency, to share information and resources.
The raid in Yusuf Goth was one of the major operations conducted by the customs department in Karachi, the main port and commercial hub of the country. The customs team, along with the Rangers, stormed the warehouse and found a huge quantity of smuggled goods stacked inside. They also arrested some of the smugglers and their accomplices, who tried to resist and escape. The customs team seized the smuggled goods and loaded them in 12 Mazda vehicles for transportation to the customs warehouse for further proceedings. The total market value of the seized goods was Rs33.3 million. The value of the smuggled goods was 16.8 million, while the customs duty and taxes on them was 16.5 million.
The operation was a success and a blow to the smuggling mafia. The Chief Collector of Customs Enforcement Karachi, Mr. Yakub Mako, and Collector Enforcement, Mr. Basit Maqsood Abbasi, congratulated the customs team and the Rangers for their bravery and professionalism. They also appreciated the informer for his valuable information and rewarded him accordingly. They said that this operation was a part of the ongoing crackdown against smuggling, which would continue in the future with the same spirit. They also thanked the army chief for his guidance and support, and vowed to eliminate smuggling from the country.