QUETTA: Customs Quetta has expedited its anti-smuggling efforts in the border areas, which is the hub of smuggled diesel trading.
Federal government has taken up the smuggling as a challenge to economy and identified scores of illegal fuel stations dealing in sale and distribution of smuggled diesel of Iran origin.
Chief Collector Baluchistan Gul Rehman and his able officers including Collector Quetta Irfan Javed and Collector Gwadar Tahir Qureshi are taking concrete measures to discourage organized smuggling.
Meanwhile, information was passed through Collector Irfan Javed to Additional Collector Yasir Kalwar regarding movement of smuggled fuel. Deputy Collector Akber Jan formed a team led by Superintendent Tariq Sultan comprising Inspectors Ahmed Nawaz Zehri, Yusuf Notezai and Shaukat Ali, and coordinated with FC Qalat.
In a joint operation with FC, Customs recovered 100,000 liters of Irani diesel worth millions of rupees along with two Hino tankers. The commodity was to be transported to inner country.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered a countrywide crackdown against smuggling of goods which, according to him, is not only causing billions of rupees loss to the national exchequer.
The prime minister directed to take short-term, medium-term and long-term measures while keeping in view the recommendations of the task force constituted to check smuggling.
The prime minister also ordered to formulate a policy to stop the influx of Iranian petroleum products, suggesting using the modern technology to stop the smuggling.
An official said Customs Quetta had surpassed all previous year records in just six months of the current year, and the performance so far has been the best in last 11 years.
An official said the judicial system was seemingly favoring the smugglers and discouraging the Customs preventive efforts.