The Anti-Smuggling Unit of Customs in collaboration with Kharadar Police recovered a huge amount of smuggled betel nuts worth millions of rupees from Karachi’s Jodia Bazar.
According to details, the Customs Intelligence Karachi received information on first November regarding the presence of smuggled areca (betel nut) at Jodia Bazar for its further transportation and disposal into the local market.
After receiving E-mail about the smuggled betel nuts, Director General Customs Intelligence and Investigation Zahid Khokhar directed his team to conduct a raid and eliminate further transportation, distribution and sale of smuggled betel nuts in the city.The raid was led by the Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO) team who seized smuggled betel nuts form Jodia Bazar worth millions of rupees.
The officials said the recovered betel nuts were brought to Kharadar without conducting any weighment.
After carrying out the weighment, the betel nuts were found to be 25,993 kilograms which were showed on paper as 16,093 by the Customs and ASO while the other 9,900 kilograms were sold in the open market for Rs5 million. Later, the money was distributed among the Customs and ASO officials.—INP