18 September 2004	Saturday	02 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Sept 17: Sindh Excise and Taxation staff on Friday thwarted an attempt to smuggle Hashish worth Rs300 million and seized the high-quality contraband in a successful operation.

Speaking at a press conference at the Divisional Intelligence office, the chief minister's adviser on Excise and Taxation, M A Jalil, informed the newsmen that the seizure was made following a tip off that a huge quantity of narcotics was being brought from Balochistan to Karachi for smuggling abroad, as well as to the interior of Sindh.

The provincial intelligence staff, after a long vigil, intercepted a truck coming from Balochistan at Korangi Road, and recovered the drug from secret cavities in the vehicle, the adviser added.

The Excise staff also arrested an accused, Mohammed Hanif, in this connection. The adviser said that the value of the 10-wheeler truck (TKA-177), from which the charas was recovered, was not less than Rs5 million.

He said: "as per our investigation, the contraband was to be handed over to one Afzal, a resident of Korangi." The truck owner, Haji Allah Noor, hailing from Chaman, and Afzal were allegedly involved in the smuggling of narcotics, he added.

Mr Jalil said the Balochistan government would be requested to arrest Allah Noor, while raids were being conducted to apprehend Afzal. To a question, Mr Jalil said that drug-traffickers were not stronger than the government, but they were certainly influential, and created hindrances in the way of the government's anti-narcotic efforts. -APP