Bid to smuggle precious stones foiled at Torkham

TORKHAM:

Customs authorities at Torkham border thwarted an attempt to smuggle precious stones from Afghanistan which were concealed within a coal consignment.

Acting on credible information, customs staff at Torkham intercepted Trailer No.KBL-1881 arriving from Afghanistan. The trailer, laden with coal also contained 71 kilogrammes of raw precious stones concealed in various compartments, including the toll box, driver cabin and other parts of the truck.

Samples from the seized stones were dispatched to the Gems and Jewellery Centre of Excellence at the University of Engineering, Peshawar. The lab report conclusively identified the detained stones as precious varieties, including Kunzite, Green Spodomen, and Scapolite.

The estimated value of the confiscated stones stands at Rs405 million. The driver of the vehicle has been taken into custody and an FIR has been registered against him.