LAHORE: A team of the Pakistan Customs (Lahore chapter) seized on Wednesday a huge quantity of smuggled Indian tomatoes being transported to Lahore in three trucks from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“Our team representing customs department’s anti-smuggling wing and comprising Moazzam Raza (deputy collector) and Agha Qadeer Haider (superintendent) intercepted near Gujranwala three trucks coming from Azad Kashmir. It seized the commodity packed in 1,072 baskets. The total weight of tomatoes is 21,440 kilo worth of Rs4m,” a spokesman for the department told Dawn. He said the team also impounded the trucks besides capturing the drivers.

During initial investigation, the drivers revealed that the tomatoes had been imported from the Indian-held Kashmir and were supposed to be supplied in various markets of Lahore.

The spokesman said the entire import/export of perishable items (vegetables, fruits etc) between Pakistan and India by road, sea and air was banned these days. He said the Pakistan government had given facility to the people of AJK to import such items from held Kashmir without any duty through Titri Note point (AJK / held Kashmir border / post).

Under this facility, all sorts of perishable items, which are imported from held Kashmir, are supposed to be supplied in the areas of AJK alone and not other parts of the country. “Importers in AJK are involved in misusing this facility by supplying vegetables and fruits to Gujranwala, Islamabad, Lahore and other parts of the country unlawfully,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2018