Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO), Preventive has foiled an attempt to smuggle huge cache of contraband fire crackers to Karachi under the grab of footwear. According to details, the department has received credible information that assorted brand of foreign origin contraband fire crackers were being shifted from Lahore to Karachi through a railway wagon no 91019.

It was also informed that the said wagon was loaded with the cartons of assorted footwear but some cartons, packed in the light green colour PP bags, contained assorted fireworks that were kept alongside the door in the railway wagon and the same would be unloaded at railway dry port, city station, Karachi for onward shifting within the city area.

Reacting on this information, a team of ASO reached the railway dry port and found that a railway wagon was stationed and the goods were being unloaded on platform from the said wagon.

The ASO team during cursory search found that most of the cartons were removed from the wagon and the wagon's doors on opposite side of the platform were also opened and some packages were lying on the ground alongside.

The search of these cartons led to the recovery of assorted brand and types of China origin fireworks. As no claimant of these cartons approached the ASO team for some time, these cartons were taken into custody for carrying out detailed examination.

The ASO team confiscated 23 cartons of fireworks, weighing 288 kilograms, worth Rs4.92 million. Consequently, a case has been registered and further investigation is underway.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019