Smuggled drugs and alcohol were destroyed during a ceremony at Wagah border on January 26, in connection to International Custom Day. PHOTO: ONLINE
QUETTA/ KARACHI:
With the help of different law enforcing agencies, Pakistan Customs was able to seize record consignments of narcotics and other illegal products in 2014, said Sindh-Balochistan’s Chief Collector Customs Enforcement Nazim Saleem on Monday.
“Pakistan Customs will further increase its coordination with the law enforcing agencies in Sindh and Balochistan to prevent smuggling and illegal trade of narcotics,” he said, while speaking at a ceremony organised to celebrate ‘The International Customs Day’.
The event also included destruction of contraband goods on the seacoast near Ghaghar Phatak, which is located about 50 kilometres from Karachi in district Thatta.
He said Customs, with the help of Sindh Rangers, has closed down 30 illegal pumps that were selling smuggled fuel in Hyderabad and its surrounding regions over the last few months.
“Frontier Corps (FC) in Balochistan has also helped Customs in tracking down the smugglers of different goods,” he said.
Saleem also highlighted the role of United Nations and USAID in providing vehicles and other resources to Pakistan Customs to tackle the challenges of patrolling in far-flung areas.
Collector Preventive Customs House Karachi Dr SM Tariq Huda said 2014’s catch of narcotics, liquor, beer, cigarettes, and heroin is by far the largest stock in the history of Pakistan Customs.
“We have made a visible improvement in controlling smuggling through the land routes of Iran and Afghanistan in recent years. Our next challenge is to improve our vigilance on sea routes to tackle the challenges that are emanating from the coasts of Oman,” another Customs official Feroze Alam Junejo told The Express Tribune.
Porous borders a challenge
Meanwhile, Commander Southern Command Lt General Naseer Khan Janjua has said security forces in Balochistan are facing immense hardship to control smuggling of narcotics, petrol, diesel and other goods due to the long and unsafe borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
Addressing a ceremony to torch narcotics to mark the International Custom Day on Monday in Quetta, Janjua lauded the efforts of Customs Collector for seizing a huge cache of narcotics and taking strict action against the gangs of smugglers.
Janjua said Pakistan was declared narcotics free country on several occasions by the international community because of the country’s hectic efforts to eradicate the poppy cultivation in the province.
“Balochistan is the international route for smugglers. We need to control the smuggling by securing the long borders with Afghanistan and Iran,” he added.
Balochistan Customs Collector Zahoor Akhtar Raja said Balochistan Customs has played a significant and commendable role against narcotics in Asia.
“Customs Balochistan has achieved 37% more than the target set. The Customs officials set on fire around 300,000kg narcotics to mark the International Custom Day,” he said.
Custom officials torched around 3,939kg of charas, 107kg of heroin and 29kg of opium.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2015.
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