KARACHI — Pakistan Customs officials at the International Mail Office in Karachi successfully foiled an attempt to smuggle 12 kilograms of marijuana into the country. According to an official press release issued on Tuesday, the seized narcotics carry an estimated market value of Rs366.2 million.
Suspicious Screening Leads to Physical Discovery
The contraband was intercepted on Saturday during routine scanning of a shipment originating from Bangkok, Thailand. Customs officials flagged suspicious indicators during the initial screening process of two specific parcels. Upon a detailed physical examination, Preventive Officer Zahid Hussain discovered the marijuana hidden inside plastic toy boxes. The parcels had been falsely declared to customs authorities as containing standard plastic toys and wooden rocks.
Consignment Breakdown and Legal Action
The illegal drugs were split across two separate consignments, weighing seven kilograms and five kilograms, respectively. Following the recovery, authorities transferred the contraband to the Directorate of Enforcement and Compliance for formal legal proceedings. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered, and law enforcement agencies have launched an active investigation to identify the individuals and smuggling networks behind the shipment.
Previous Smuggling Precedents
The interception follows a similar smuggling method foiled by authorities late last year. In October 2025, Pakistan Customs in Karachi intercepted 1.69 kilograms of marijuana arriving from Thailand with an estimated value of Rs52 million. In that previous instance, traffickers had attempted to bypass mail security by declaring the drug parcel as containing “amulets”.
