Customs seizes container smuggling urea to Afghanistan

KHYBER: The Customs officials on Tuesday seized a container with consignment of urea fertilizer at Torkham border crossing here, ARY News reported.

Additional Collector Customs Muhammad Tayeb has said that the department’s officials during search of an export container at the border crossing, recovered a consignment of 40 tonnes of urea fertilizer, being smuggled to Afghanistan.

“Fake documents of rice cargo were prepared for the container, carrying urea,” the official said.

“The export of urea from the country has been strictly prohibited,” he further said.

“The Customs officials have filed a case, taken the container in custody and arrested an accused,” he said.

“The consignment of the urea have a market value of 4.68 million rupees,” he added.

It is to be mentioned here that the farmers across the country had recently protested against non-availability and price hike of fertilizer a key input for their crops.

Smuggling and hoarding were pointed out two major factors of fertilizer shortage in the country, in a report of the federal interior ministry.

The law enforcement authorities initiated a crackdown against smuggling of urea fertilizer to Afghanistan.

In February Mochko police in Karachi during checking of a passenger coach found 150 bags of urea being illegally smuggled to Afghanistan via Balochistan.

The Customs department in a raid in Quetta seized huge quantity of urea in Quetta.

A spokesperson for the department said that 300 bags of urea and sweet supari (betel nuts) worth Rs60 million were seized during a search of container and trailer at the Lakpas Chckpost of Customs in Quetta.