RAWALPINDI, June 29: Customs and Excise officials have seized a huge quantity of contraband goods worth Rs1 million during checking of a Rawalpindi-bound bus on G.T. Road near Sang Jani.

The customs authorities said, following an information, a joint team comprising the staff of Highway-Motorway police and range office of the Directorate, Intelligence and Investigation (Customs and Excise), intercepted the bus (Peshawar K-3829) near the toll plaza.

During checking, contraband goods, including foreign cloth, cigarettes, cycle chains, drawer locks and second-hand auto parts, were found from the cavities and beneath the seats.

On demand, the driver and conductor of the bus failed to produce any proof regarding legal import or lawful transportation of the items seized.

However, the passengers protested against the move. A customs official said there was no scuffle between the passengers and customs staff, however, the bus conductor, along with some female passengers, tried to create law and order situation. But, the situation was brought under control with the help of police.

“Nobody from the customs staff had misbehaved with women; they had staged a drama by tearing their clothes off,” the official told Dawn.

The authorities said two persons, Saeed Nabi, the bus driver, and Mohammad Saeed, conductor, were arrested and an FIR lodged against them with the I&P branch of the Directorate General.

Police on Sunday foiled an attempt to smuggle arms and ammunition to Punjab from the tribal areas and arrested 21 members of a gang in this connection, adds PPI.

Westridge police arrested the alleged smugglers when they were trying to smuggle the arms and ammunition to Punjab from the NWFP.

District police officer Syed Murrawat Ali Shah while speaking at a press conference said the smugglers might have come from Afghanistan.

Mr Shah said the arms and ammunitions were manufactured in Darra.