KARACHI: Customs Intelligence has busted a gang stealing non-duty paid diesel from the PARCO oil pipeline via a specially constructed deep underground pipeline.
It is reliably learnt that the said illegal activity has been running unchecked for a long time. It is estimated that this illegal activity has caused a daily loss of billions of rupees over an extended period. A 174-feet-long tunnel was clandestinely used by the smugglers to extract and steal non-duty-paid diesel.
The Customs Intelligence Karachi meticulously planned an Intelligence Based Operation (IBO), which led to the discovery of the tunnel intricately connected to PARCO’s Oil pipeline.
The smugglers ingeniously used this tunnel to illicitly extract and steal non-duty paid diesel, bypassing legal and fiscal obligations. This case is a testament to the vigilance and effectiveness of Customs Intelligence and highlights the country’s evolving and complex nature of fuel smuggling.
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It is estimated that the modus operandi unearthed by Customs Intelligence has resulted in the detection of this mega scam involving massive non-duty-paid diesel theft amounting to billions of rupees.
At the raid site, the team made a seizure of 65,000 litres of non-duty/ stolen diesel, valued at Rs 20 million, which underscores the scale of the smuggling operation and the massive revenue loss of crores of rupees to the government exchequer on a daily basis.
This case indicates a mischievous modus operandi where the smugglers, facing heightened scrutiny and crackdowns by the Customs Intelligence and other LEAs on traditional smuggling routes and methods, resort to more innovative and covert means.
The Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation-Customs, Karachi, conducted this operation on a tip-off given by the Director General of Customs Intelligence, Faiz Ahmad Chadhar that an organised syndicate of smugglers is involved in the theft and sale of non-duty paid diesel. The genesis of this successful operation began with meticulous intelligence gathering and surveillance. Particular focus was placed on a suspicious industrial site in Karachi, leading to a breakthrough discovery.
An edible oil factory at Port Qasim, under the radar of Customs Intelligence, was found intricately involved in the illegal activities. Following the seizure, further investigations led to the arrest of the factory owner, marking a significant stride in unravelling the network behind this sophisticated smuggling operation.
Further investigations are under way to arrest the other members of the gang and ascertain the quantum of loss over a period of time.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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