KARACHI: The anti-smuggling team of the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation (DGI&I), Customs Karachi, on Monday foiled an attempt to smuggle betel nuts worth over Rs10 million.

Sources said that after getting a tip-off, the team began monitoring vehicles bringing suspected loads into Karachi. During the surveillance operation the team spotted a Bedford truck bearing registration no. AE-0071 on the Nazimabad road and signalled the driver to stop the vehicle.

Instead of stopping, the driver tried to speed away. However, the truck was ultimately chased down by the team. On being questioned about the load he was carrying in his truck, the driver claimed he was transporting animal dung from an area on the Northern Bypass to an area inside the city.

Unsatisfied with the driver’s answers, the team took the truck into custody and took it to the DGI&I office for further investigations. The team discovered 280 bags of betel nuts concealed under animal dung during the unloading process.

The smuggled goods and the truck were seized, and a case was registered against the smugglers, said the sources.

The seizure of such a significant quantity of betel nuts is a major achievement for the anti-smuggling team, which has been carrying out operations to curb smuggling in the region.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023