Bid to smuggle narcotics worth Rs 800 million foiled

The Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation (DI&I) of FBR on Wednesday claimed to have foiled an attempt to smuggle around 10 tonnes of narcotics amounting to Rs 800 million to Karachi. According to Asif Marghoob Siddiqui, Director DI&I, Karachi, the action was taken on the information, which revealed that a racket of drug paddlers was planning to transport massive quantity of narcotics to Karachi from Mardan.
Reacting on the information, a special team comprising Najeebullah Jafri, Qaswar Shah and Mohsin Shah was constituted to verify the veracity of the information. During surveillance, the team has intercepted a trailer (Z-5085), which was transporting container CAXU-959746-2 to Karachi, near the Rohri Bypass Sukkur. The team asked the driver to produce relevant legal document in order to confirm the status of the goods. However, he was unable to satisfy the DI&I staff. Resultantly, drivers along with cleaner and the trailer were taken into custody for inquiry and investigation.
He said that physical inspection of the container revealed that the fabrication of the container was different from other container of this capacity. The presence of wooden logs, an unusual export commodity reinforced suspicion of the Customs Intelligence staff.
The same was, therefore, escorted to the Sukkur Customs Intelligence office along with three persons, including truck drivers and cleaner present in the truck. An exhaustive search revealed that two portions had artfully been created inside the container by erecting a special iron wall. It was difficult to identify the presence of specially created wall with cursory glance.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the wood logs covering three quarters space had been placed inside the container and rest of the one quarter space was used to clandestinely hide approximately nine tones and 900 kilograms of Hashish behind the artificially fabricated iron wall. The wall was demolished with help of cutter and 495 bags containing Hashish were recovered. The initial probe suggested that narcotics were booked by Haji Gul Mat Khan from Mardan, KPK, through M/s Seven Stars & Co, a goods transport company, to Karachi.
DI&I Director Margoob Siddiqui said that seized narcotics were said to be smuggled abroad from Karachi and added that the value of seized narcotics was Rs 800 million approximately. Consequent upon recovery, a case has been registered under the provision of the CNS Act, 1997, and further investigation is underway to nab other responsible persons behind the contraband trade.