KARACHI: The Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Karachi on Saturday foiled an attempt to smuggle substantial quantity of narcotics worth millions of rupees in Karachi.

According to the details, the action was taken on a tip-off, which revealed a planned attempt to smuggle a massive quantity of hashish from Quetta to Karachi by car.

In response to the information, a team was formed for the monitoring of all vehicles entering Karachi from Balochistan. Additionally, the customs patrolling squad was alerted, and they intensified their presence along the RCD Highway and surrounding rough areas.

The operation reached a critical juncture last night when a Honda Civic, travelling through the rough terrain of Rais Goth, was signalled to stop by authorities.

Instead of complying with the signal, the driver of the vehicle accelerated in an attempt to escape.

A high-speed chase ensued, and although the driver managed to flee on foot in the cover of darkness, the customs patrolling squad successfully intercepted and took custody of the vehicle.

The apprehended vehicle was transported to the Mochka check post for an exhaustive examination. During the search, authorities discovered around 474 packets of hashish concealed within the car’s doors, seats, and trunk.

Each packet weighed approximately 1 kilogram, resulting in a total of 474 kilograms of hashish with an estimated street value of Rs. 94.5 million.

Furthermore, the vehicle used in the smuggling operation, valued at Rs.3.8 million, has also been seized. This brings the total value of both the vehicle and the seized hashish to Rs. 98.3 million.

Consequent upon the recovery, a case has been registered. Further investigation is in progress and it is expected that the gang involved in this smuggling would be busted soon.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023