LAHORE: Collectorate of Customs Preventive on Wednesday generated Rs5.5 million through auction of non-duty paid apples on Thursday.
Earlier Customs Preventive cancelled the auction as there were only a few purchasers that were interested in auction of the apples and they gave fewer rate against apples of worth Rs8.1 million. Highest rate that was announced by a purchaser was only Rs3.2 million which was far less than the actual rate of the apples.
It is necessary to mention here that Anti-Smuggling Organization has seized a huge quantity of smuggled apples worth Rs8.1 million after receiving credible information.
The ASO team supervised by Deputy Collector ASO Mohammad Moazzam Raza and comprising Superintendent Agha Qadeer, Inspectors Nasir Saeed, Azam Wattoo, Sajjad Bukhari, Amjad Khan intercepted a trailer bearing registration no. TLE-438 was coming from Quetta near Interchange Shera Kot.
On examination, the vehicle was found to be loaded with smuggled/non-duty paid New Zealand-origin apples weighing 20 tons. A case has been registered and further investigations are still in progress till the filing of this report.