By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: In one of the largest anti-smuggling operations in recent months, the Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement), Lahore, Thursday seized seven truckloads of contraband goods valued at approximately Rs600 million during a raid at the city’s Shahalam Market.
The seized goods included smuggled cigarettes, betel nut (supari), flavored tobacco, and other high-demand illicit products. These items, officials said, were being supplied to the local market in violation of customs and taxation laws, causing not only massive revenue losses to the national exchequer but also posing health hazards to the public.
The operation was led by Collector Muhammad Saeed Watto, who has been spearheading an aggressive enforcement drive against smugglers and illegal traders across Punjab. He was assisted by Assistant Collectors Arsalan Mughal and Faisal Siddique, with on-ground supervision by Superintendent Rashid Munir.
A strong field team, comprising Inspectors Ahmad Ch, Malik Fazal, Abdul Ghafar, Salman Ameer, Hafiz Usman, Fazal Bashir, Haroon Baig, M Azeem, Meral Marton, M Arfaq, Romail, and Irfan Furqan, executed the raid with precision.
The Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement), Lahore, has been conducting back-to-back operations in recent months, targeting key smuggling hubs, transporters, and storage points. The Shahalam Market raid is being hailed as a major blow to smuggling networks that have long used wholesale markets as their distribution hubs.
Officials said further investigations are underway to identify the financiers, traders, and transporters behind the consignment. More arrests and follow-up actions are expected in the coming days as enforcement agencies tighten the noose around smuggling cartels.
