G-B customs clerk suspended over smuggling incident

GILGIT: A clerk from Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Customs has been suspended, and an FIR registered, after a road accident near Bisham in Lower Kohistan on March 30 led to the discovery of smuggled mobile phones and other items in a private vehicle.

Two Customs officials, deployed at the Sost station, were en route to their hometowns for Eid on March 30 when their vehicle met with an accident, resulting in injuries to both. During the rescue operation, local volunteers and police recovered a significant number of mobile phones from the accident site.

Following the incident, social media platforms were flooded with claims that over 2,000 mobile phones, allegedly seized earlier at the Pakistan-China border in Sost, were being smuggled when the accident occurred.

Last week, when HUM News English contacted Sost Customs Assistant Collector (AC) Usman Chattha for details, he confirmed that initial reports indicated the recovery of around 10–12 mobile phones from the scene. He dismissed the social media claims of over 2,000 phones being recovered as inaccurate.

“We are investigating the matter, as both individuals involved are injured and currently unable to give statements. Once their condition stabilizes, we will thoroughly probe the matter from all angles and update the public and media accordingly,” AC Usman Chattha told HUM News English.

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On Friday, G-B Customs issued an official statement regarding the incident, confirming that on March 30, 2025, two GB Customs officials, traveling in a private rented vehicle, were involved in an accident near Bisham City.

According to the statement, local police recovered “210 mobile phones and other items from the scene and documented the seizure in an official report”.

The statement said one of the officers, Appraising Officer Hafiz Muhammad Nazim Butt, was critically injured and is currently under treatment at PIMS Hospital, Islamabad, while the other, upper division clerk (UDC) Muhammad Abu Bakar, remained unharmed.

“On the other hand, the smugglers, whose 17,613 mobile phones (worth approximately Rs 500 million) were seized by G-B Customs in recent weeks, began spreading rumors that an additional 210 mobile phones were also part of the confiscated goods. They exaggerated the number of seized phones, falsely inflating it into the thousands,” reads the statement.

The G-B Customs said to clear up any misunderstanding, all confiscated mobile phones were recounted in Customs warehouses and “found to be complete and accounted for”.

According to the statement, investigations revealed that UDC Muhammad Abu Bakar’s brother, Abdul Rehman, allegedly involved in smuggling activities, was accompanying him at the time of the incident. The statement said it was established that the recovered mobile phones and other items had been purchased from the black market, and the UDC was actively engaged in transporting smuggled goods. The phones were later retrieved from police custody by Abdul Rehman.

“Given the clear evidence of misconduct, the internal inquiry against Muhammad Abu Bakar has been concluded under E&D Rules. A show-cause notice for termination has been issued, requiring a response within seven days. An FIR has also been registered against him and his brother,” the statement added.

As for Appraising Officer Hafiz Muhammad Nazim Butt, his role in the incident remains undetermined due to his medical condition. The G-B Customs said that his involvement would be assessed during the course of the criminal investigation. “If any complicity is established, appropriate legal action will be taken.”