QUETTA: In the early hours of May 25, 2024, a brazen attempt to smuggle goods worth Rs. 100 million was foiled at the Ziarat Cross Customs Check Post. A heavily armed group of 7-8 individuals, led by the infamous Selab Khan and Imran (Fauji), opened fire in an effort to escort four trucks loaded with illicit goods through the checkpoint.
The vigilant Customs staff, under the leadership of Inspector Nazeer Kurd, mounted a robust defense, successfully preventing the smugglers from absconding with an additional eight trucks that were en route from Quetta. Despite a thorough search of the adjacent tracks, no vehicles were found.
Chief Collector of Baluchistan, Yaqoob Mako, renowned for his integrity and effectiveness, has been a formidable opponent to smuggling networks. Alongside Collector Tahir Qureshi and Additional Collector Yusuf Magsi, Mako has been instrumental in intensifying anti-smuggling measures. An FIR has been filed against the fugitive smugglers, Selab Khan and Imran Fauji, as the court takes cognizance of the case. Investigations are ongoing, with Selab Khan identified as the brother of the notorious smuggler Sadiq Sadozai, signaling a significant crackdown on the region’s smuggling operations.