LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), March 31: Authorities in the Khyber Agency have eased restrictions on the movement of smuggled goods in the Malik Din Khel area of Bara sub-division, it has been reliably learnt. The Bara political administration closed on Feb 9, all the smuggling routes in the Qambar Khel area after a row over distribution of toll money collected at various checkpoints among the three sub-tribes of Qambar Khel.

The administration had to deploy Khasadar force along with the jawans of Mehsood Scouts to defuse the tension and to stop the enflow of smuggled goods from Afghanistan into Bara.

A godown owner at Bara, Haji Mula Jan, told this correspondent that over 600 trucks loaded with various types of foreign goods have so far been unloaded at different godowns over the past three days.

He said that these trucks were provided safe passage by the Khasadar force and Mehsood Scouts deployed at Sheenko and Karawal. There are more than 150 godowns of foreign goods in Bara.

While the Commandant of Mehsood Scouts Col Hamid Iqbal Khattak vehemently denied the reopening of smuggling routes, Haji Mula Jan said that the movement of smuggled goods took place only during the night.

The Political Tehsildar of Bara Rehan Khattak when contacted said as he was posted at Bara only two days back, he was unaware of such development.