QUETTA: The Customs Collectorate has seized smuggled goods worth more than Rs20 million.

Custom officials said that eight mobile squads of Customs Collectorate of Quetta, along with local police, raided 10 buses coming from Iran via Taftan in Marriabad and seized smuggled goods, including tyres, carpets, crockery, cumin seed (zeera), garments, bags, cooking oil and other edible items.

They also impounded 10 buses, which carried passengers in the garb of pilgrims. The buses are valued at around Rs235m.

Sources said that the people involved in smuggling business are using pilgrims as carriers. The raiding team was headed by Customs Collector Ashraf Ali and comprised Additional Collector Zubair Shah, Deputy Collector Maqbool Baloch and other staff.

The Customs Collector said that these elements were involved in illegal business since long.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2018