KARACHI: The Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO) branch of the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Karachi seized smuggled goods, including foreign diesel, oil tanker, CNG cylinders, high speed Iranian diesel, silk cloth, poppy seeds, shoes and sleepers worth Rs 24.2 million in which Rs 3.18 million duty involved, in raids during August.
As per details, the anti-smuggling team has seized 18,000 liters of diesel in an oil tanker bearing registration number TUB-623 involved in Rs 0.55 million duty evasion on August 9 and arrested three culprits.
The customs also seized 14 foreign CNG cylinders worth Rs 0.44 million on August 12 involved in Rs 0.1 million duty evasion.
Moreover, customs has seized 6,000 liters high speed diesel with a truck registration No JY-8054 involved in Rs 0.18 million duty evasion and lodged FIR against culprits.
The Karachi customs has also detected a case of mis-declaration on August 25 in which the importer Haroon Steel House was taking undue benefit of SRO-421(I)/2014 in clearance of stainless steel scrap, sheet coated/ non-coated, standard cut circles involved in duty evasion of Rs 1.08 million which importer paid later.
The anti-smuggling unit has also seized 24 bundles (2050 kilograms) of art silk cloth worth Rs 0.9 million involving Rs0.4 million duty.
On August 27 customs team seized 700 bags (28,825 kilogram) of poppy seed, produced in Afghanistan and registered FIR against three criminals, including a godown owner Junaid, and Mumtaz alias Lahori and Shafiq Kakar. The worth of seized poppy seeds was estimated at Rs 8.6 million.
The Customs seized 1,144 cartons of shoes and sleepers worth Rs1.42 million involving Rs 3.18 million duty and arrested four accused including Naushad Qazi of Cash Club Islamabad and clearing agent Muhammad Sajid.