Directorate General Customs Intelligence has busted an organised gang involved in preparation of fake import verification certificates of smuggled luxury vehicles and seized six Mazda trucks having suspected registration numbers.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Monday that the Directorate of Customs Intelligence has expanded the scope of the ongoing national drive against non-duty paid smuggled vehicles and taken a number of enforcement measures with the co-ordination of Motor Registration Authorities.
The ongoing anti-smuggling operation of the agency is playing key role in busting organised gangs allegedly involved in the smuggling of vehicles. Besides, seizure of non-duty paid smuggled vehicles across the country, the directorate is actively taking information-based action to bust the gangs involved in smuggling of vehicles on forged documents.
Recently, the Directorate General Customs Intelligence has geared up its efforts to impound the smuggled and non-duty-paid vehicles plying on the roads throughout the country. Acting on reliable information, staff was deputed around the General Bus Stand, Lahore. The staff held secret 'naka-bandi' and after 48 hours round the clock surveillance, six Mazda trucks with suspected registration numbers were intercepted on 14.12.2012. Fake registration documents of Motor Registration Authority Quetta have been recovered from the possession of the owners of these Mazda trucks. The recovered documents have been sent to Motor Registration Authority Quetta for their scrutiny and comments. Further investigations are in progress.
In another attempt to foil the smuggling bid, the Lahore Office of Customs Intelligence has busted a gang involved in preparation of fake import verification certificates of smuggled luxury vehicles. Ring leader of the gang who is also accused of manoeuvring the forged registration of the smuggled vehicles, has been arrested after two separate FIRs were lodged on seizure of two luxury vehicles. The Special Judge Customs, Lahore has granted physical remand of the accused. The operation was carried out with active support and co-ordination of the officials of Motor Registration Authority (MRA) Lahore. These two seizures have helped in busting an organised gang allegedly involved in the smuggling of vehicles from areas adjoining country's western borders to Central Punjab.
Further headway is expected as a result of the investigation. After follow up meetings of Joint Task Force at Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi, Motor Registration Authority (MRAs) and other Law Enforcement Agency (LEAs) have started active co-operation with Customs Intelligence for effective crackdown against smugglers of vehicles, directorate added.