Non-customs paid car of 'prominent politician' seized in Karachi

KARACHI: Customs intelligence officials have seized a ‘non-custom paid car of a prominent politician’ in Karachi, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The Customs officials claimed that the ‘non-custom paid bullet-proof vehicle’ confiscated from Karachi late Sunday night belonged to a prominent political personality of Balochistan.

It emerged that the luxury car of the 2017 model was being driven by the politician’s son in Karachi’s Clifton area.

The luxury vehicle was shifted to Customs House after being confiscated by the officials. They detailed that a foreigner brought the luxury to Pakistan for hunting purposes and was temporarily exempted from Customs duties and taxes.

The car was allegedly being used by an ‘influential sardar’ without its Customs clearance.

Last month, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) along with the federal intelligence agency conducted an operation on Hub River Road, and arrested a three-member gang involved in smuggling non-custom paid vehicles.

According to the details, the three gang members – identified as Mir Abdus Sadiq Maingal, Hikmatullah, and Abdul Hammed – originated from Kalat, Balochistan were allegedly involved in the smuggling of non-custom paid vehicles across different provinces across Pakistan.

The CTD spokesperson revealed that a joint team of law enforcement agencies intercepted a suspicious vehicle near Saeedabad, Karachi, in which the three-armed smugglers were traveling to Karachi from Hub, Balochistan.

During the investigation, the accused revealed that they are affiliated with a non-custom car smuggling gang responsible for smuggling non-custom paid vehicles across Pakistan.

The CTD spokesperson disclosed that the group has been involved in transporting several vehicles in Balochistan to Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for just Rs 150,000.

The CTD officers recovered a Kalashnikov, a 9mm pistol, and a 30-bore pistol from the possession of the arrested accused. Meanwhile, the police after confiscated the car started an investigation to apprehend the remaining gang members.