Smuggled Goods Seized from Bus at Hub Check Post; Transporters Protest, Customs Fire Warning Shots

Karachi: A major anti-smuggling operation at Hub Check Post turned tense when customs officials intercepted a passenger bus carrying smuggled goods, leading to protests by transporters and warning shots fired by customs personnel. Police were later called in to restore order.

According to Express News, Pakistan Customs Enforcement Karachi stopped a suspicious passenger bus traveling from Balochistan to Karachi. Upon inspection, officials discovered a large cache of smuggled items hidden in secret compartments, including foreign cigarettes, Indian cosmetics, and fabric worth millions of rupees.

As customs staff attempted to shift the seized goods to a warehouse, transporters staged a protest, blocking the road by halting other passenger buses from Balochistan. The protest quickly escalated into a scuffle, prompting customs officers to fire warning shots into the air to disperse the crowd.

Additional Collector of Customs Raza Naqvi told media that goods worth around Rs. 20 million were recovered, including a bus used in smuggling. He alleged that some transporters attempted to blackmail customs staff by resorting to stone-pelting and road blockades, despite clear evidence of smuggling.

Customs officials completed an on-site inventory of the confiscated goods and later transferred them to the warehouse. Separate cases have been registered against those involved in smuggling as well as those accused of interfering in official work and creating public disorder.

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