KARACHI: The Customs Collectorate Anti-Smuggling Organization (ASO) seized 38,000 liters of smuggled Iranian diesel and narcotics.
Sources told Customs Today that Collector Hyderabad Agha Shahid Mehmood received secret information that a huge quantity of Iranian diesel was being transported outside Quetta city. He summoned Additional Collector Umer Shafiq and directed him to take all possible steps to foil the attempt.
Additional Collector Umer Shafiq constituted a team which inlcudes Inspector Shakeel Khan, Haroon Siddiqui and others. The team established various check posts at main entry and exit points of Hyderabad city and started checking of vehicles.
During checking process ASO team intercepted a truck and recovered 100 kilograms of hashish and 38,000 liters of smuggled Iranian diesel. ASO team also arrested both driver and his companion and started investigations. During initial interrogations both accused persons revealed that they were going to deliver these narcotics to some other person who is residing in Hyderabad for local supply.
ASO team registered a case of smuggling against these accused persons. The market value of seized narcotics is Rs3.5 million.
Sources said that during another operation ASO team destroyed many petrol pumps which were involved in selling smuggled Iranian diesel and recovered 28,000 and 12,000 liters. Sources said that Additional Collector Umer Shafiq received credible information that some petrol pumps are openly selling smuggled Iranian diesel. He immediately directed ASO team to destroy these petrol pumps. ASO team after destroying these illegal petrol pumps registered a case against owners of these petrol pumps who were later identified as Ahmad Khaskheli and Ayub Rehman. Sources said that market value of seized Iranian diesel is Rs2.3 million.
It is necessary to mention here that ASO authorities are already speed up their efforts to curb smuggling in the region by using all available resources.