Outrageous: Smugglers ‘smuggle’ three customs officials
The trio was released after 20 hours of negotiations.
The trio was released after 20 hours of negotiations. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI:
In a shocking display on negligence, police and customs officials failed to stop smugglers from transporting their wares from Lahore to Khyber Agency via the motorway and ended up letting three customs officials get kidnapped. It took 20-hours of hectic negotiating to secure the trio’s release.
Interestingly, the police were not sure, if the customs department had succeeded in getting their officials, who include a deputy superintendent, released from the smugglers’ captivity.
The high drama started late on Friday and continued on to Saturday. Acting on a tip-off, Customs officials intercepted a container with clothes and electronic equipment coming from Lahore on near Kallar Kahar.
The customs officials also arrested three alleged smugglers.
According to sources, the customs officials took the smugglers into custody and told the container’s driver to follow their vehicle. The sources said that as the customs officials reached an area in the jurisdiction of the Naseerabad police, 20-odd armed accomplices of the smugglers were there waiting and took the customs officials hostage. The smugglers then made off with the container and the three officials.
The sources said that on way, the smugglers released the two junior customs officials and proceeded with Deputy Superintendent Chaudhry Ifitkhar.
“Some 20 to 22 persons with sophisticated weapons held the customs officials hostage and bundled them into their vehicles,” said Sub-inspector Izhar Ali Shah of the Naseerabad police, who is investigating the case.
“The kidnapped customs official was finally recovered from a house in Jamrud, Khyber Agency,” Customs Superintendent Zargham Dil told The Express Tribune. He said that after the incident, they had alerted the police and political agent of Khyber Agency, which succeeded in tracing the whereabouts of the kidnapped official.
Interestingly, the Naseerabad police were not sure that the abducted customs official had been recovered. However, the police claimed that three accomplices of the smugglers were in their custody. The police identified them as Azmatullah, Rehmat Din, Rahimullah, all from Khyber Agency.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2013.
In a shocking display on negligence, police and customs officials failed to stop smugglers from transporting their wares from Lahore to Khyber Agency via the motorway and ended up letting three customs officials get kidnapped. It took 20-hours of hectic negotiating to secure the trio’s release.
Interestingly, the police were not sure, if the customs department had succeeded in getting their officials, who include a deputy superintendent, released from the smugglers’ captivity.
The high drama started late on Friday and continued on to Saturday. Acting on a tip-off, Customs officials intercepted a container with clothes and electronic equipment coming from Lahore on near Kallar Kahar.
The customs officials also arrested three alleged smugglers.
According to sources, the customs officials took the smugglers into custody and told the container’s driver to follow their vehicle. The sources said that as the customs officials reached an area in the jurisdiction of the Naseerabad police, 20-odd armed accomplices of the smugglers were there waiting and took the customs officials hostage. The smugglers then made off with the container and the three officials.
The sources said that on way, the smugglers released the two junior customs officials and proceeded with Deputy Superintendent Chaudhry Ifitkhar.
“Some 20 to 22 persons with sophisticated weapons held the customs officials hostage and bundled them into their vehicles,” said Sub-inspector Izhar Ali Shah of the Naseerabad police, who is investigating the case.
“The kidnapped customs official was finally recovered from a house in Jamrud, Khyber Agency,” Customs Superintendent Zargham Dil told The Express Tribune. He said that after the incident, they had alerted the police and political agent of Khyber Agency, which succeeded in tracing the whereabouts of the kidnapped official.
Interestingly, the Naseerabad police were not sure that the abducted customs official had been recovered. However, the police claimed that three accomplices of the smugglers were in their custody. The police identified them as Azmatullah, Rehmat Din, Rahimullah, all from Khyber Agency.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2013.