On March 30, 2025, two officials from Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Customs, traveling in a private rental vehicle, were involved in an accident near the city of Bisham. Local police recovered 210 mobile phones and other items from the scene and prepared a recovery report, which has been added to the official record.

One of the officials, Hafiz Muhammad Nazim Butt (Appraising Officer), sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing treatment in the ICU at PIMS Hospital, Islamabad. The other official, Muhammad Abu Bakar (Upper Division Clerk), remained unharmed in the incident.

Meanwhile, smugglers, whose 17,613 mobile phones worth approximately Rs. 500 million were recently seized by GB Customs, began spreading rumors that the 210 mobile phones recovered from the accident were part of the previously confiscated consignment. They exaggerated the number of recovered phones, falsely claiming it to be in the thousands. To address any confusion, all seized mobile phones were recounted in the Customs warehouse and found to be intact.

Investigations revealed that Muhammad Abu Bakar (UDC) was involved in smuggling activities. His brother, Abdul Rehman, who is engaged in the smuggling business, was also present during the incident. It was discovered that the UDC had purchased the mobile phones and other items from the black market, and his brother later retrieved the phones from the police.

With Muhammad Abu Bakar’s involvement in smuggling confirmed, further inquiry was deemed unnecessary. Under the E&D Rules, the inquiry was closed, and a show-cause notice for dismissal was issued to him, giving him seven days to respond. Additionally, an FIR has been registered against both Muhammad Abu Bakar and his brother.

As for the Appraising Officer, his involvement remains unclear as he is currently in the ICU and unable to provide a statement. His role will be determined during the criminal proceedings, and appropriate action will be taken if any connection to the incident is established.