Karachi Pak Customs Prevents A Major Smuggling Activity: Items worth More Than Rupees 473 Million Was Seized in Karachi, March 7, 2025 – In the fight against smuggling, the ASO of Karachi seized an attempt to smuggle an assortment of mobile devices and e-liquid vape flavors alongside other high-value items that estimated to be above Rs. 473.37 million.
This operation demonstrates the forward-looking and responsible approach of Karachi Customs in safeguarding the economy of the country and ensuring that legal trade policies are not violated.  The operation was initiated on intelligence bordering a smuggling attempt where dutiable items were presented as ‘Coolant’ for export. The fraudulent shipment was cleared through the fraudulent GD No KAPW-HC-139288-25-02-2025 and B/L No ZASFPS250211-059. M/S AB MEMON & SONS had the consignment, but their WeBOC ID was clearly misused.
On 5th March 2025, the Special ASO Team led by Preventive Officer Muhammad Saqlain, along with Officers Muhammad Usman and Muhammad Ahmed, arrested the suspect Mazda truck, Registration No. AH-0001 at ICI Bridge Karachi. The truck was in the possession of a male carrying four pallets. The unit was taken onboard and relocated to CPF Bond, NMB Wharf, for further inspection. A thorough examination revealed the actual consignment, which was misleading.
This shipment contained about 10,008 units of different mobile phones, which amounted to Rs. 455.75 million, alongside 15,000 pieces of e-liquid vape flavors valued at Rs. 9.75 million. The total rest of the shipment on the cruise amounted to Rs. 473.37 million when combined with the Rs. 2.5 million value of the old Mazda truck.
The primary investigation resulted in the arrest of the principal suspects, Akif Hussain and Syed Wajahat Habib. Both confessed to orchestrating the smuggling and admitted to bringing goods from Dubai, labeling them as ‘Coolant,’ which helped them clear customs without paying any duties.
Additional inquiries revealed that the defendants had exploited M/s AB MEMON & SONS’s WeBOC ID to create fraudulent GDs. The vendor’s participation was limited to their credentials being used without permission. The investigation uncovered that the perpetrators relied heavily on a computer system obtained from A.W. Logistics’ office based in Shah Abdullah Office room #307, Noman Plaza, Martin Road, Karachi. Forensic analysis determined that the GD was filed from an IP address connected to the fake system.
The accused further implicated employees of Bay West (Pvt) Ltd. Specifically, Salman, who is the Operational Manager, and Abid, the Delivery Officer, were named in regard to their participation in the clearance and exchange of the original consignment for the undeclared goods. In support of the allegations, Ayaz and Tajammul, who are the representatives of the accused, were identified as absconders.
The sorts of seizures and arrests noted above involve a multitude of legal infractions, which include Section 2(s) of the Customs Act of 1969, which concerns smuggling, and Section 3(1) of the Imports & Exports (Control) Act of 1950. This offense is liable to punishment under Clause (8) & (89) of Section 156(1) and 157(2) of the Customs Act, 1969.
Also, in the course of the investigation, there is room for suspicion of the involvement of customs officers of the terminal and other auxiliary staff, whose functions are still being investigated. Claimants are served Notices under Section 171 of the Customs Act, 1969, and have been posted at the Custom House, Karachi, and ASO/HQ NMB Wharf for the purpose of informing the public regarding the actions taken legally.
This operation is meant to deal with the illegal activities that most people deal with, which significantly destroy the economy. Smuggling harms the government financially and negatively allows trade and markets to compete freely.
The apprehension and follow-up investigation serve the purpose of emphasizing the need for good customs processes as well as the intelligent use of custom information that has previously been prepared. There have been promises made towards following through on any leads available for the purpose of completely breaking the network that is involved in this case. The prosecution and identification of the facilitators, handlers, and financiers of the case are currently in progress.
The actions of internal customs officers will also be analyzed further for the sake of ensuring responsibility within the office’s internal activities. These findings will help make customs rules more robust to prevent fraud and smuggling as well as make them truly effective.
