Karachi: Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Karachi cracked down on a major smuggling operation involving illicit diesel trade. Acting on a tip-off from Collector Basit Abbasi to Additional Collector Dawood Pirzado, the authorities discovered a clandestine center operating out of the Fast Filling Station on Hub River Road, Northern Bypass, Karachi.
The intelligence revealed that several individuals were actively engaged in smuggling and illegal trading of foreign-origin Irani diesel. These smugglers had set up shop at the filling station, using it as a hub for storing and distributing their illicit petroleum products within the city.
A swift response team, led by DC-ASO Raza Naqvi, SPS-ASO Mr. Muhammad Habib Mayo, Muhammad Saqlain, and preventive Officer Muhammad Zubair, was assembled to thwart the smuggling attempt. Upon arriving at the scene, the customs officials confronted Muhammad Mushtaq, who posed as the Head Cashier. The team explained their purpose, but this provoked a hostile reaction from the individuals transferring smuggled diesel from Mazda trucks into drums and then into underground tanks.
As tensions escalated, a mob armed with sticks and firearms gathered at the filling station, verbally attacking the customs officials and even resorting to physical altercations. Despite their best efforts, the outnumbered customs team couldn’t prevent the miscreants from making off with four Mazda Trucks loaded with smuggled diesel.
Local police and rangers were called in to assist. During a thorough search, the authorities uncovered fake seals, receipts, and records related to the buying and selling of petroleum products. Further investigation revealed that the owners of Fast Filling Station were deeply involved in the illicit trade of non-duty paid/smuggled petroleum products. The incriminating receipts traced back to illegal petroleum dealers in Balochistan who had been selling Iranian origin petroleum products.
The customs officials seized a total of 55,100 liters of illegal diesel from the underground tanks. The crackdown sends a strong message that smuggling activities will not go unchecked, and those involved will face the full force of the law.
An FIR is lodged and investigations are underway.