According to a news release, Customs Intelligence discovered a covert operation involving the theft of non-duty paid fuel from the Pakistan Arab Refinery Company’s (PARCO) oil pipeline.
The illicit activity, which went undiscovered for a long time, is estimated to have resulted in daily losses of millions of rupees, with a cumulative impact in the billions.
According to the statement, the smugglers dug a covert 174-foot tunnel to retrieve and take non-duty-paid fuel.
Customs Intelligence Karachi, using an intelligence-based operation (IBO), methodically planned and carried out the raid that resulted to the uncovering of this intricate plot.
The Customs Intelligence investigation reveals a complicated and developing nature of gasoline smuggling throughout the country. The operation revealed a major scheme involving large non-duty-paid fuel theft, perhaps worth billions of rupees.
During the raid, Customs Intelligence found a stunning 65,000 liters of non-duty/stolen fuel worth Rs20 million. This demonstrates the scope of the smuggling operation and the enormous financial loss to the government exchequer on an ongoing basis.
This case demonstrates a devious strategy in which traffickers, facing increased attention and crackdowns by Customs Intelligence and other LEAs on old smuggling routes and methods, turn to more imaginative and clandestine means,” it stated.
The successful operation was launched on a tip-off from Faiz Ahmad Chadhar, Director General of Customs Intelligence, about an organised ring of smugglers involved in the theft and selling of non-duty-paid fuel.
Meticulous information collecting and monitoring activities, with a focus on a questionable industrial facility near Karachi, eventually resulted in a groundbreaking finding.
The participation of an Edible Oil facility in Port Qasim was discovered, prompting the arrest of the factory owner. This is a key step toward identifying the network behind this sophisticated smuggling operation. The current investigation attempts to catch more gang members and ascertain the amount of the losses sustained over time.
Faiz Ahmad Chadhar praised the operation’s success and highlighted Customs Intelligence’s persistent commitment to fighting gasoline smuggling.
Despite limited resources, he congratulated the Director of Customs Intelligence Karachi and his staff for their successful efforts to thwart smuggling operations.
Maria Ghanchi