Anti-jammers, mobile phones worth over Rs 1.5 bn seized in Pak

Anti-jamming equipment and mobile phones worth over Rs 1.5 billion were seized here by Pakistan customs, with officials suspecting that these sensitive items being imported illegally from Dubai were to be used by terrorists, a media report said today.
The customs authorities prevented clearance of 31,112 high-value mobile phones and around 5,000 sets of long- distance special mobile phone sets that could be used for cross-border communication and anti-jamming equipment, the Dawn reported.
The consignment had arrived at Karachi International Container Terminal from Dubai in the first week of January. It was later shifted to the off-dock station Al-Hamad Inter national Container Terminal (AICT).

According to officials, the mobile phone sets carried an estimated market value of around Rs 1.55 billion (approximately Rs 1 billion in India).
"When the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority refused to allow its import, the culprits attempted to get them cleared by showing them as refrigeration parts, dyes and garments.
"The seized phone sets were so designed that their international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) could not be traced out, indicating that they were meant for special purposes or for use by terrorists operating along the Pak- Afghan border," the report quoted customs sources as saying.

The items were stuffed in 13 pallets inside a 40-ft container which was registered in the name of three fake companies registered only with the Lahore customs, the officials said.

The report says that working on intelligence inputs, customs officials were on alert about the consignments arrival at the container terminal but somehow the information got leaked.
After a few days, the customs were informed that the importers were planning to change the consignment contents with the connivance of the AICT and the customs staff deputed at the terminal.
The customs sleuths raided the AICT where they found that the staff had already opened the pallets without permission from the officials.
"The customs official found that the consignment had been mis-declared and sensitive electronic equipment, including special long-distance mobile phones and anti-jammers, were being cleared under the garb of refrigerator parts, dyes and garments," it said.

Police have lodged an FIR, but no arrest was reported so far, it added.