Police seize non-customs-paid goods in Karachi raids, arrest eight suspects

KARACHI: Police in Karachi said they had broken up groups involved in interprovincial smuggling during separate operations in FB Industrial Area, Manghopir and on the Superhighway, recovering a large quantity of non-customs-paid goods and arresting eight suspects.

According to details, FB Industrial Area police stopped and searched a vehicle bearing registration number KV-3492 and recovered around 130 kilograms of non-custom-paid betel nut, or chhalia, packed in 10 sacks. Two suspects, identified as Huzaifa Khan and Akhtar Ali, were taken into custody.

Police said the initial investigation showed that the two men were allegedly involved in interprovincial smuggling. No further details were provided in the report about the route of the goods or their intended destination.

Manghopir operation

In another action, Manghopir police arrested two suspects and seized a consignment that included 34 packets of various foreign brands of gutka, 22 cartons of foreign cigarettes and three packets of naswar. The arrested men were identified as Abid Ali and Saleem.

The goods recovered in the Manghopir raid were non-customs-paid items. Police did not disclose additional details about where the material had been brought from or where it was to be supplied.

Superhighway smuggling bid foiled

Meanwhile, police also said they thwarted an attempt to smuggle Indian gutka on the Superhighway. In that operation, four suspects were arrested, including two women.

The suspects were using women as cover during the smuggling attempt.

The three actions were described as successful raids by FB Industrial Area police and Manghopir police, with officers recovering a substantial quantity of non-customs-paid goods in the process.

The seizures included betel nut, gutka, cigarettes and naswar, all of which police said were recovered during targeted operations against smuggling activity. The arrests across the three operations brought the total number of suspects held to eight.

Police statements in the report linked the detained suspects in the separate cases to smuggling activity, including interprovincial movement of non-customs-paid goods. Further investigation into the cases was under way, according to the details provided in the report.