QUETTA: The Anti-Smuggling Organization Quetta confiscated various brands of 6,280 cartons of foreign origin cigarettes priced at Rs4.2million from a passenger bus coming from Quetta towards Karachi. The bus was intercepted at the Lakpass check-post. The driver fled the scene.
According to details given by Ashraf Ali, Collector, Model Customs Collectorate Quetta, on a tip-off, that imported cigarettes will be smuggled from Quetta into Karachi through a passenger buss. Following the secret information, the staff of Lakpass check-post started strict vigilance at the check-post with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies.
The customs staff signaled the bus to stop, but the driver of the bus bearing registration No: BSC-906 sped up to bypass the check-post of Lakpassed. It was disclosed that driver of the vehicle, with the help of other drivers of vehicles, blocked the road and created a law and order. The Levies and FC staff took action and cleared the road.
The collector told CT that, due to a rush on the road, the driver escaped while the bus was brought to the Customs Check-Post. After a thorough search, the staff recovered 1180 cartons (each carton contained 10 packs) of Marlboro Gold, 920 cartons of Pine Light and 240 cartons of Dunhill from the different parts of the bus.
A case was registered under the customs bylaws while further investigation is underway.