Quetta Customs Incinerates Over PKR 5 Billion Worth of Contraband Goods

Quetta: The Quetta Customs Intelligence has incinerated contraband goods valued at over PKR 5 billion, which had been seized over the past several years. The ceremony took place yesterday, with key figures including Federal Ombudsman Advisor Toqeer Ahmed Qureshi, Director Customs Intelligence Balochistan Dr. Noman Ahmed, and other officials highlighting the agency’s efforts despite limited manpower and resources.
Director General Customs Intelligence Pakistan Ali Raza Hanjra and Federal Ombudsman Dr. Asif Jah, along with the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue, had directed Customs Intelligence Balochistan Director Dr. Noman Ahmed, Deputy Directors Usman Aziz and Arslan, and Superintendent Muhammad Mobeen Akhtar to oversee the incineration process. The contraband items included pan masala, betel nuts, cigarettes, Chinese salt, and expired or harmful food products.
The goods, which had been in custody for the past 8 to 10 years, could neither be auctioned nor released. Consequently, they were loaded onto 40 ten-wheeler trucks and burned at a mountainous location near Henna Orak on the outskirts of Quetta.
Advisor Federal Ombudsman Toqeer Ahmed Qureshi and Director Customs Intelligence Dr. Noman Ahmed stated that the incinerated goods represent the largest single destruction of contraband in Customs’ history, valued at over PKR 5 billion. They affirmed that Customs Intelligence remains vigilant in curbing smuggling and the transportation of prohibited goods, aiming to eliminate these issues from Balochistan.