RAWALPINDI, Oct 28: Customs authorities here on Tuesday seized 1.6 tons of charas concealed in 1,293 drums of paint in a shipping container at the customs dry port, the authorities said.

Acting on a tip-off, assistant collector customs Seema Bukhari formed a team to check a 40 feet shipping container, which had arrived from Peshawar.

The container, which was booked for UAE, apparently was containing 1,020 drums of plastic emulsion paints. The contraband concealed in the double-walled drums had arrived here after crossing the customs mobile squads and the police pickets established all along the GT Road.

The remaining 273 drums had been offloaded at a warehouse near Tarnol police station, while the shipping container was sent to the dry port for clearance.

Later, the 273 drums were also seized. But nobody has been arrested so far.

According to superintendent customs, Inamul Haq, the consignment had been booked by one Malik Imran.

The accused had been released from jail after completing life imprisonment about one year ago. “Mr Imran has a criminal record,” Mr Haq said.

The customs authorities said the exact destination of the container was not known. However, it was to be sent to Europe via UAE.

The value of the charas in the international market has been estimated to be $10 million.