RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has directed the customs authorities and police to chalk out a joint mechanism to check smuggling of non-customs paid (NCP) vehicles into the province through the district of Dera Ghazi Khan.

Both police and customs have been asked to chalk-out a fresh strategy to check the smuggling of non-customs paid vehicles through the tri-boarder (Punjab-Sindh and Balochistan) and increase police patrolling.

At a recent meeting of the subcommittee on law and order of the provincial cabinet, a special report prepared by an intelligence agency on the smuggling of non-customs paid vehicles to Punjab through D.G. Khan was discussed.

Vehicles are smuggled to province through untraditional routes in Dera Ghazi Khan, meeting told

The report said D.G. Khan was located on the boundaries of Sindh, KP and Balochistan. The boundary of Punjab meets Balochistan and KP near a tribal area and the Indus Highway, respectively. A number of unconventional and non-traditional routes are present for transportation between these areas.

The unconventional routes pass though the mountain range of Koh-i- Suleman up to D.G. Khan. These routes are frequently used for smuggling of non-customs paid vehicles.

The meeting recommended that smuggling of vehicles needs to be stopped since these could easily be used in any act of terrorism in the province.

These routes can also be used by terrorists and criminal gangs for their nefarious designs. Moreover, weapons can also be transported to the province through these routes.

The meeting was informed that the report had already been shared with the inspector general of the Punjab police, commissioners and other officials of D.G. Khan for necessary action to check the smuggling of non-custom paid vehicles.

The provincial authorities also directed that the issue should be discussed by the divisional intelligence committee.

It was decided that a proper patrolling would be launched to chalk out a plan to reduce the chances of any criminal activities through these routes.

In view of the sensitivity of the issue, the law enforcement agencies were directed to take appropriate measures to check the smuggling of non-customs paid vehicles.

A customs official said unchecked smuggling of non-duty paid vehicles to Punjab was due to the absence of a mechanism and a lack of coordination among the police and intelligence agencies.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2018