KARACHI: Timely action by the Pakistan Customs on Friday averted the threat of halting exports of Pakistani products to Australia.
The customs officials, on a tip-off, raided the Pakistan International Containers Terminal in Karachi and recovered a large quantity of ice drug disguised as salt.
Sources privy to the development told that the consignment was due to ship to Australia, adding that 46kg of ice drug was masterfully disguised in the container.
They said that the customs officials have registered a case against suspect Fida Hussain. Hub Salt Company chairman Ismail Sattar, while talking , said that 80 per cent of Pakistani salt is exported to Australia which is sold in mega stores, adding that many consignments are shipped to Australia on daily basis.
He said that if the consignment had left the port then it would have affected the export of Pakistani salt to Australia as well as other countries.
Last month, Custom officials in Torkham foiled an attempt to smuggle banned items in an export consignment to Afghanistan.
According to details, an export consignment of miscellaneous goods was loaded in a vehicle bearing registration number GAG-3111 which was checked during the examination stage.
Detailed examination of the said consignment led to the recovery of banned items including fertilisers (7,700kg) and sugar (6,000kg).