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Setting up of scanning machines at QIAP in final stages

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The installation of scanning machines at the international arrival and departure halls of Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, (QIAP) Karachi by the Collectorate of Customs (Preventive) is in the last stages.

This was stated by the Collector of Customs at the 25th meeting of regional anti-smuggling coordination committee meeting held here recently. The scanning machines are expected to help in quick checking of the baggage of about one million passengers per year. The scan operators will not be from Customs department but from a private company who has installed these scanners. For drug interdiction purposes these machines will be installed at international departure hall.

Major Hidayatullah, from Pakistan Coast Guards, informed the meeting that coast guards had seized diamonds/precious stones worth Rs 20 million in November last. Besides, after a tough struggle with drug smugglers at Hub the coast guards staff was able to seize 242 kg heroin, 525 kg charas and 22 kg opium.

The meeting was further informed that the government may once again consider giving amnesty to smuggled motor cars and also to keep the rates of taxes at reasonable level in respect of such smuggled vehicles. An opinion was expressed that confiscated vehicles should be offered to deserving government servants at reasonable rates as it was done in the case of unsold transport scheme vehicles. It was further proposed that owners of such vehicles which on checking are found to be clean and not smuggled ones should be issued some sort of a certificate, in order to save them from repeated checkings.

Sindh Home Department, Additional Secretary, informed the participants that registration record of vehicles in Sindh has been computerised and it had been impressed upon the governments of Punjab and NWFP to computerise their record of vehicles so that easy access to information/data could be possible.

The Preventive Collectorate of Customs was able to effect 17 arrests of drug smugglers at QIAP during November last. Drug syndicates are still dominated by Nigerians, and most of the arrested persons reveal their connections with such syndicates.

The customs staff is vigorously fighting to thwart new methods of drug smuggling through parcels and small packets. A quantity of 36.67 kg heroin was seized in these cases, the meeting was informed.