By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The Collectorate of Customs Enforcement, Lahore, under the leadership of Collector Muhammad Saeed Wattoo, has secured a major conviction in a gold smuggling case, further tightening the noose on traffickers attempting to undermine the national economy.
Read also: Lahore Customs Enforcement secures conviction in high-profile 3.14kg gold smuggling case
In the latest case, passenger Rai Muhammad Umar, arriving from Sharjah on flight PA-412 in November 2015, was caught carrying 2.1 kilograms of gold jewellery set with precious stones. On September 13, 2025, the Special Judge Customs, Taxation & Anti-Smuggling, Lahore, sentenced him to five years imprisonment along with a fine of Rs.5 million.
Earlier this month, on September 4, 2025, another smuggler, Irfan Tariq, had been awarded six years imprisonment and a Rs12.5 million fine for attempting to smuggle 3.135 kilograms of gold jewellery from Dubai in 2014.
Collector Muhammad Saeed Wattoo praised his enforcement and legal teams for their persistence and professionalism, noting that the combined value of the seized jewellery in the two convictions exceeds Rs170 million.
“These back-to-back convictions send a strong and clear message to smugglers — Customs will not let up. We are committed to vigilance, strong prosecution, and zero tolerance against gold smuggling,” Wattoo affirmed.
