KARACHI — Tensions escalated at Karachi’s Maymar Plaza on Monday as a Customs raid targeting smuggled goods turned chaotic, leaving at least two people injured and a truck set ablaze.
Customs officials, accompanied by Sindh Police and Rangers, conducted the raid at the busy textile market on Tariq Road. Shopkeepers, taken by surprise, reacted angrily hurling stones at officials, and some reportedly even opened fire. Law enforcement personnel fired back to disperse the crowd.
The injured, identified as 21-year-old Share Masih and 36-year-old Sameer, were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment. Amid the unrest, furious shopkeepers set tyres on fire near Liberty Chowk and torched a Shahzor truck.
Authorities reported that Customs recovered smuggled cloth valued in the millions. Shopkeepers were informed that items with valid Customs receipts could be reclaimed from the Customs Office, while others would need to pay the applicable duties.
The incident has raised concerns over market security and the volatility of enforcement operations in Karachi’s bustling trade hubs.
