Pakistani authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle Indian-origin highly addictive drug, Tramadol, to Sierra Leone under the guise of towel export through its seaport, the second such seizure in a month that underscores the presence of a cross-border smuggling network.
The Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Karachi thwarted a major attempt to smuggle 5.6 million Tramadol Hydrochloride tablets on Saturday last week, according to the Customs authorities.
Tramadol is regulated under the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) rules and is a controlled psychotropic drug in many countries.
The value of the confiscated consignment is estimated at Rs2.8 billion, which was first smuggled from India, the Customs authorities said.
It was the second seizure related to Tramadol of Indian origin. Last month, Pakistan Customs seized 21.8 million tablets and 7,000 capsules of unregistered Tramadol. The total value of last month's seizure was Rs10 billion.
The Customs authorities said that the exporter tried to smuggle the drug to Sierra Leone by falsely declaring it as "towels", destined for Freetown, Sierra Leone. Documents for the consignment had been filed with the Exports Collectorate, Karachi by Ahmad Trading and it was initially cleared through the Risk Management System under the green channel, they added.
The First Information Report (FIR) has also been lodged against the exporter and clearing agents for violating the Customs Act and the Import and Export Control Act 1950.
The drug is mostly used in Africa and the Middle East and there have been incidents where a Pakistani route has been used to smuggle it.
The Customs authorities said that based on credible risk profiling, the Tramadol consignment was flagged and held for further scrutiny when it arrived at the Qasim International Container Terminal for loading on a vessel. The container was subjected to scanning followed by a 100% physical examination.
The detailed examination led to the recovery of 5.6 million Tramadol tablets, along with biscuits, with no declared goods found in the container, according to the seizure report.
The Collectorate of Customs Enforcement is trying to dismantle the network involved in the illegal trade of unregistered and hazardous pharmaceuticals.
The clearing agent filed the goods declaration (GD) form on March 9 in the WeBOC system, declaring 170 cartons of towels worth $7,930. Based on the exporter's profile, the Risk Management System marked the GD for the green channel and allowed the container to be loaded without examination on the same date.
Most of the country's trade takes place through the green channel, which is not subject to examination. However, upon receiving intelligence regarding mis-declaration, the container was withheld for examination.
The Customs authorities opened the container and found cartons of biscuit brands "Café" and "A-I Special" in front, said the officials. They also found a significant quantity of undeclared cartons of Tramadol Hydrochloride tablets at the back of the container.
The authorities said that neither the consignor nor the clearing agent had declared the recovered biscuits or drugs. This discovery confirmed the misuse of green channel by Ahmad Trading and Speed Line (Private) Limited, who falsely declared towels instead of Tramadol Hydrochloride, according to the FIR registered by the Customs.
The authorities served notices on both the exporter and clearing agents, directing them to provide legal documentation to prove lawful possession and justify the attempted export of drugs under false declaration. But they did not appear before the Customs and subsequently the goods were seized and an FIR was registered.
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