- Title: Pakistan destroys seized drugs and alcohol on World Customs Day
- Date: 26th January 2017
- Summary: KARACHI, PAKISTAN (JANUARY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) PILES OF NARCOTICS AND OTHER CONTRABAND LYING ON GROUND/CUSTOMS OFFICIALS, GUESTS AND JOURNALISTS STANDING BAGS OF HASHISH AND OTHER CONTRABAND WORKERS OPENING BAGS OF HASHISH FOR MEDIA MORE OF HASHISH BAGS VARIOUS OF MAN OPENING BAG WITH DRUGS OPEN BAG WITH HEROIN POWDER ARMED GUARDS STANDING CUSTOM OFFICIALS HOLDING BOTTLES WITH CONTRABAND LIQUOR VARIOUS OF SMUGGLED LIQUOR BOTTLES CHIEF COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, MOHAMMAD ZAHID KHOKHAR, ADDRESSING CEREMONY/ BANNER IN THE BACKGROUND READING (English): "INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS DAY" CUSTOMS AND OTHER OFFICIALS SEATED WORKER POURING OIL ON PILE OF DRUGS AND OTHER CONTRABAND KHOKHAR IGNITING FIRE/OFFICIALS AND GUESTS CLAPPING FIRE BURNING VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS BY THROWING LIQUOR BOTTLE VARIOUS OF BULLDOZER CRUSHING BOTTLES OF LIQUOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, MOHAMMAD ZAHID KHOKHAR, SAYING: "It's a ceremony that we are holding here right now. We are celebrating 26th January as the World Customs Day. It's celebrated throughout the world, and we have chosen this day for destruction of all those goods which are not normally used by the Pakistani community. So, it's huge quantity of liquor, huge quantity of heroin and other narcotics which are lying there and which are put to burn by our staff. So that, it's (it has) a demonstrative effect to the people those who deal in these businesses and those who use it. Those who deal in the business, we have apprehended them. Right now they are languishing in jails, and the goods which are before your eyes its being burned and being crushed by our bulldozers." PILE OF NARCOTICS BURNING IN FLAMES CAMERAMAN FILMING DRUGS BEING BURNT (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) CHIEF COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS, MOHAMMAD ZAHID KHOKHAR, SAYING: "There is a heap of hashish, and there is Gutka (paste made from beetle nuts) and many other things. All these things valued about 70-80 crore (700-800 million rupees) in Pakistani currency ($6.7-7.6 million)." VARIOUS OF DRUGS BURNING/SOUND OF EXPLODING BEER CANS
- Embargoed: 9th February 2017 14:37
- Keywords: Pakistan Custom Day drugs contraband
- Location: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- City: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00160PXJYD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Large quantities of contraband liquor and narcotics with a market value of millions of rupees were destroyed in Pakistani city of Karachi on International Customs Day on Thursday (January 26).
The contraband goods had been seized by Pakistani customs authorities in raids across the country.
A pile of confiscated heroin powder was burned and thousands of bottles of smuggled liquor were also destroyed at a brief ceremony in the outskirts of the Pakistan's biggest port city of Karachi.
Large number of customs officers, drug liaison officials from different countries and the officials of other allied agencies witnessed the destruction.
"We have chosen this day for destruction of all those goods which are not normally used by the Pakistani community. So, its huge quantity of liquor, huge quantity of heroin and other narcotics which are lying there and which are put to burn by our staff," said Mohammad Zahid Khokhar, Chief Collector of Customs.
He said the destroyed contraband goods had a market value of 700 to 800 millions of Pakistani rupees ($6.7-7.6 million).
Official press release said customs authority had destroyed miscellaneous contraband goods including over 9.5 thousand kilograms of hashish, 5 kilograms of heroin powder and over 85 thousand bottles of liquor.
The International Customs Day is held on January 26 across the world and was instituted by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the only inter-governmental organization exclusively focusing on smuggling and illegal imports which came into being in 1952.
Every year, 178 member states of the WCO organize various national events to celebrate the day.
Pakistan is a major conduit for drugs flowing out of its western neighbour, Afghanistan, which is the world's largest producer of heroin and a major hashish producer.
Production has soared to near record levels in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban late in 2001. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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