MULTAN: Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation seized large quantity of smuggled betel nuts along with vehicle being used for smuggling near Kot Sabzal Sadiqabad. The market value of seized betel nuts and vehicle is Rs12 million.
According to details, Director Customs Intelligence and Investigation Multan Asad Raza Rizvi received credible information from their source that huge quantity of contraband items would be smuggled through jurisdiction. Director Customs Intelligence alerted the Sadiqabad Unit of Customs Intelligence and directed them to enhance monitoring of suspected routes to foil any bid of smuggling in the region.
Customs Intelligence formed special team including Inspector Mohsin Shah, Inspector Umer, Inspector Amjad Pervaiz, Inspector Akmal Hashmi, Zulfiqar and others to take action against smuggled goods.
Following the directions of Director Customs Intelligence and Investigation, the team intercepted a suspected truck near Kot Sabzal Check post which was loaded with gypsum stone.
Customs Intelligence teams recovered huge quantity of betel nuts which was concealed under marble stones during close examination. Almost 80,000-kilogram betel nuts were packed in the 220 different sacks and estimated of recovered betel nuts were Rs2.5 million and the value of truck was also Rs10 million. The origin of recovered contraband items was India and they were smuggled through Afghanistan.
Truck driver presented booking receipt of said goods to Customs Intelligence staff. Field Intelligence Unit of Sadiqabad seized the entire betel nuts and shifted the betel nuts along with truck to Customs Intelligence State Warehouse Rajapur. Further Investigations were still under process regarding the betel nuts.