Punjab emerges as smuggling hub in countrywide crackdown

WEB DESK: In a concerted effort, the government, in collaboration with security forces and military leadership, has launched an extensive operation to curb smuggling activities nationwide.

This unprecedented anti-smuggling campaign, which kicked off in September, has recently brought to light alarming statistics, underscoring the magnitude of the issue at hand.

Between October 22 and October 29, a staggering 1,406 metric tonnes of sugar and 0.177 million litres of oil were seized in different regions of Pakistan.

A significant portion of these illicit goods was confiscated in Punjab, where authorities recovered 30.39 metric tonnes of sugar and 53.52 metric tonnes of flour.

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Moreover, the operation led to the apprehension of smaller quantities of smuggled items, including 0.016 million litres of oil from Punjab, 0.003 million litres from Sindh, 0.030 million litres from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 0.016 million litres of Iranian oil from Balochistan.

Since its commencement on September 1, the operation has successfully intercepted substantial amounts of illegal merchandise, including 1,673 metric tonnes of fertiliser, 198 metric tonnes of flour, 0.177 million litres of Iranian oil, and 2,032 metric tonnes of sugar from various parts of the country.