MULTAN: Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) has seized huge quantity of smuggled betel nuts from Sadiqabad.
According to details, Director Customs I&I Asad Raza Rizvi received credible information from source that huge quantity of contraband items will be smuggled through jurisdiction. Director Customs Intelligence alerted the FIU 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.
During thorough examination, Customs Intelligence team recovered huge quantity of betel nuts which was concealed under gypsum stones. Almost 90,000 kilograms betel nuts were packed in 220 different sacks and estimated value of recovered betel nuts was Rs30 million and the value of truck was Rs 10 million. The origin of recovered contraband items was India but now these betel nuts were being 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.