Customs Seize Iranian Diesel Worth Rs. 12 Million in Karachi

Customs officials in Karachi have intercepted 42,200 litres of smuggled Iranian diesel valued at over Rs. 12 million along the northern bypass, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said. The raid, conducted early one morning by the Collectorate of Customs (Enforcement), uncovered hidden tanks and makeshift storage facilities as part of the agency’s heightened anti-smuggling efforts. Acting on intelligence, the teams moved swiftly to secure the fuel and transferred it to a warehouse for safe custody, highlighting the FBR’s “zero-tolerance” policy on illicit oil imports. The raid follows a recent surge in smuggling busts, including a major operation in October when 132,564 litres of Iranian diesel were seized from three vessels off the Sindh coast Fuel smuggling is a long-running challenge for Pakistan’s economy. According to FBR data, smuggled petroleum products have cost the national treasury billions in lost revenue and undermined legal business operations. The Customs Enforcement Wing said the latest operation revealed a sophisticated storage network and stressed that any storage, manufacture or movement of security-critical petroleum products without proper documentation and clearance would be treated as criminal. The FBR stated that this operation is one of several planned for the coming months and warned that repeat offenders would face asset forfeiture, steep fines, and criminal prosecution.