LAHORE: Customs authorities have thwarted a smuggling bid at Allama Iqbal International airport, Lahore on Sunday.
According to sources, during the search of a passenger 23 mobile phones, 50-kilogram face masks and branded cigarettes were recovered from the custody of the accused who reached Lahore from Dubai.
The passenger identified as Muhammad Nadeem landed at Lahore airport via Emirates flight no 622. The worth of recovered phones is said to be Rs 2.3million.
In a separate action, Customs authorities recovered smuggled clothes worth millions of rupees in Karachi. The customs preventive anti-smuggling organization in raids in Karachi recovered non-duty paid clothes of 45000 kg.
The raids were conducted at godowns situated in Lyari, Metha Dar, and Mandir Wali Gali. The value of recovered clothes is said to be Rs120 million.
On October 2, Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) in Gwadar had foiled an attempt to smuggle narcotics in the country worth around Rs1.6 billion, considered one of the biggest drug busts in several years.
While acting on the directives of Chief Collector Customs Balochistan against anti-trafficking, Collector Customs Gwadar Dr Tahir Qureshi issued orders to make all available resources and intelligence network fully functional and effective in order to curb the menace.
A few days ago, a tip-off was received that an attempt was being made to smuggle heroin from Gwadar to other parts of the country. Upon receiving information, a special team was formed under the supervision of Additional Collector Customs Ghulam Haider Mehsar including other field officers and staff.
The special team was stationed at Kharari check post and increased patrolling and more effective search of inland bound cargo trucks and buses on the RCD Highway.
