Customs arrest two officers after 400kg of seized silver allegedly swapped with lead

Pakistan Customs has arrested two preventive officers after an internal inquiry found that a large quantity of seized silver bullion was allegedly replaced with lead during transportation from Quetta to the Pakistan Mint in Lahore, officials said on Monday.

The case surfaced when officials at the Mint examined a consignment of 688 kilograms of seized silver, delivered on April 5, 2026, and discovered that 400 kilograms of the bullion was fake and consisted of lead bricks of similar appearance and weight.

According to the official statement, preventive officers Arif Ali Jumani and Samiullah Achakzai were assigned responsibility for the safe custody and transport of the seized material. The silver had been stored in 36 sealed boxes at the State Warehouse in Quetta before being dispatched to Lahore.

The consignment was transported to Quetta International Airport and flown through a Pakistan International Airlines flight to Allama Iqbal International Airport, from where it was moved to the Mint for deposit and verification.

An inquiry initiated by the Collectorate of Customs Enforcement, Quetta later reviewed surveillance footage obtained from the Safe City Project Quetta, which allegedly showed that the vehicle carrying the original silver bullion was deliberately swapped with another vehicle transporting counterfeit material during transit.

Following the findings, authorities registered a First Information Report (FIR) and arrested both officers on charges of collusion and suspected misappropriation. Officials said further investigation is under way to determine whether other individuals or officials were involved in the incident.