KHYBER: The district administration seized a large quantity of smuggled goods during a raid on a private warehouse near the Torkham border on Thursday night.

The items included 12,000 packs of cigarettes, 272 packets of other contraband, Indian medicine and betel leaves which were to be transported to Peshawar and other parts of the country by the dealers, according to a statement issued by the Khyber House.

The raid in Bacha Maina was conducted by Landi Kotal’s assistant commissioner and his staff members on the orders of the deputy commissioner.

Official sources in Torkham told Dawn that cigarettes were illegally brought in from Afghanistan with the help of minor smugglers, who conceal cigarette packs in secret cavities of trucks carrying coal and soapstone.

They added that the smugglers later handed over those “small consignments” to their handlers on the Pakistani side of the border where they’re kept in privately owned warehouses.

The sources said smuggled cigarettes and medicines were first sent to the Karkhano Market in Peshawar in taxicabs with the police at checkposts being bribed and later to different parts of the country.

They insisted that the major chunk of contraband were distributed to dealers in Peshawar, with Indian medicines mostly consumed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Also in the day, border security forces arrested five Afghan nationals here along with their local helper for illegally crossing into Pakistan.

The detained Afghans, including three men and two women, were earlier denied entry by the immigration officials for lacking valid travel documents.

Official sources said local resident Imtiaz allegedly helped Afghans enter Pakistan with fake travel documents.

“They all were nabbed by intelligence officials as they’re on the way to the local taxi stand,” an official told Dawn.

He alleged that Imtiaz provided fake medical documents to Afghans for Rs50,000 each and was supported by some employees of the immigration office.

The sources also revealed that the security forces had taken some immigration officials into custody over their alleged involvement in human smuggling from Afghanistan.

They said at least two immigration officials were quizzed after the arrest of Imtiaz but were released after their denied involvement in the matter.

Sources claimed that both security and immigration authorities had intensified the checking of travel documents carried by Afghans entering Pakistan via the Torkham border.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2024