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KARACHI, March 7: Smugglers shot dead two customs officials on Sunday morning and sped away in Customs motorboat in open sea near Gawadar. The customs anti-smuggling squad came under attack when they tried to intercept the suspicious boat on a tip off , the customs officials told Dawn here on Sunday.
The two officials, killed in the incident, were identified as Mir Ahmed and Naseem. According to the Customs Collectorate, Mir Ahmed had participated in 90 per cent seizures during the last 10 years in Makran Division .
An official of the Customs Collectorate, Quetta, told Dawn that a liquor consignment was being smuggled into the country in a boat when it was intercepted near Hammer- head mountain, Gawadar Post, early Sunday morning.
"Initially, the smugglers surrendered with their hands up. As the customs officials embarked the smugglers boat, they opened fire killing two of the officials and prodding others to jump into the sea," a senior custom official said. Taking advantage of the situation, the smugglers got hold of the custom's boat and made their escape leaving behind the contraband, he added.
DIES: A young man, who was shot at and injured late Saturday night, died at a hospital during treatment on Sunday.
Police said that Imam Bux, 30, was shot at and injured by some unidentified armed men outside his house in Gulshan-i-Maymar on Saturday night. The victim was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment. On Sunday, the victim succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Police said that the killing was a result of some personal enmity.
DROWNED: A boy drowned in the sea near Port Qasim on Sunday. Edhi sources said that four young men had gone to the Russian Point near Steel Mills on Sunday.
Sadiq Taufeeq, 19, was swept away by strong waves while his friends, Abdul Samad, 18; Rehan, 17; and Safeer, 27; swam safely to the beach. Till late Sunday night, the divers of fire brigade rescue centre and Edhi workers had been trying to recover Taufeeq's body.
