Model Customs Collectorate, Preventive, Karachi on Saturday claimed to have seized smuggled goods worth Rs 1.14 billion during last three months. Speaking at a press conference held at Preventive Service Club, Keamari, Collector Preventive Muhammad Saqif Saeed said that during the investigation of major seizures, certain new facts had come to the fore. He said that in the past, the smugglers were only transporting smuggled goods from border areas to the cities. As the anti-smuggling operations intensified, the smugglers have now changed their strategy and got themselves involved in supplying the smuggled goods in the markets.

The investigation revealed that these unscrupulous elements have now acquired warehouses within the city especially in busy market areas where the smuggled goods are dumped and later supplied to different areas and markets.

The collector further said that the facilitators of these elements were highly influential and showed physically resistance during anti-smuggling operations and challenged the writ of the state. Later, he briefed about the smuggled goods seized during the anti-smuggling operation for last three months which included narcotics, betel nut, gutka, cigarette, fabric, banned medicine, auto-parts, diesel, liquor, fireworks, mobile phones, tyres and blankets etc worth Rs 1.14 billion.