Customs arrest 23 traffickers: three launches, huge quantity of diesel seized

Pakistan Custom (Preventive) on Friday claimed to have arrested 23 traffickers and seized huge quantity of diesel and three wooden launches worth Rs 67.4 million from the open sea. The action was taken with the assistance of Maritime Security Agency (MSA).
According to official statement, credible information was received to the effect that various launches, under the guise of fishing boats would be used in a bid to smuggle huge quantities of foreign origin High Speed Diesel Oil into Pakistan. In response, an operational strategy for the search and seizure of the vessels in the high seas was chalked out after intensive deliberations at the Preventive Collectorate between the Chief Collector of Customs (South), Razia Sultana Taher, the Collector of Customs Preventive, Muhammad Javed Ghani and the Additional Collector of Customs Preventive, Hasan Sardar. Resultantly, special interdiction teams of the Anti Smuggling Organisation (ASO) of the Model Customs Collectorate of Preventive were constituted to launch the operation. The information was also shared with MSA with whom the Preventive Collectorate maintains close liaison. DG MSA Rear Admiral Wasim Akram and DDG MSA Commodore Azir Mumtaz, graciously consented to extend all possible assistance and support in the operation. The MSA, as an integral part of the overall strategy, deployed its assets to barricade and cordon all the coastal inlets along the Makran Coast.
From October 25, 2011 onwards, the ASO core team launched the operation on receipt of a go ahead signal from superiors. The team commenced surveillance in the High Seas alongside the coast from Somiani to Hawkesbay. As the operation progressed, another team was sent as backup to the core team. Concurrently, the MSA also deployed its assets at strategic points all along the coast.
Resultantly, on October 26, 2011, the ASO core team succeeded in spotting and identifying a suspicious launch in the waters near Hawkesbay. The pilot of the launch sensing danger tried to escape but was overcome by the ASO interdiction team after a high-speed pursuit. The crew was interviewed and being dissatisfied with their declaration, a search was conducted of the launch, which revealed that huge quantity of diesel oil was filled in tanks specially designed for storage.
Subsequently, the launch was seized and brought back to ASO, Ghaas Bandar for further legal formalities. Similarly, based on information passed on by the ASO, the MSA teams also managed to seize two launches carrying smuggled diesel oil of foreign origin and subsequently handed them over to the ASO for further legal formalities. In total 79,346 litres of diesel oil worth a tentative Rs 7.4 million and 03 wooden launches worth a tentative Rs 60 million were seized.
Twenty-three people were also arrested for trafficking. FIRs have been lodged in Court and prosecution and investigation proceedings are underway. This huge haul makes this the first ever high seas operation in the history of Pakistan Customs that has yielded such huge quantities of diesel being trafficked in an organised manner. It is pertinent to mention here that the Model Customs Collectorate of Preventive, Karachi, which is the enforcement arm of Pakistan Customs, has rejuvenated and stepped up its anti-smuggling and narcotics interdiction drive.
In the month of March, the Drug Enforcement Cell at Jinnah International Airport seized 4-kg of amphetamines worth Rs 40 million being smuggled out of the country - the first seizure of synthetic drugs in the country. The Drug Enforcement Cell NMB Wharf also contributed earlier by cracking a case in which 245-kg of pseudo-ephedrine worth in excess of Rs 5 billion was seized. The Anti Smuggling Organisation, in a number of separate cases has seized contraband goods like smuggled diesel, tea, cosmetics, gutka, cigarettes and other assorted merchandise worth millions of rupees.-PR