KARACHI: About 100 Customs Officers yesterday [March 27] combed the City`s cloth marl(ets and fashion stores in the biggest ever operation to seize foreign cloth, a banned item, and seized cloth worth millions of rupees.

Till the time of going to the Press the operation continued. Many shops in the City were sealed with huge quantity of foreign cloth believed to be smuggled inside.

The seals will be opened today for the completion ofinventories ofvarious shops.

The Collector of Sea Customs, Mr S.K. Rahim, who directed the operation, said he took the decision following reports that a huge quantity of foreign cloth was sold openly in the market despite the ban.

The operation came as a surprise to the importers and shopkeepers and they did not have time to hide the goods.

The cloth seized included brocade, Nylex, Nylon Georgette, Satin, Nylon Satin, Saris and Tetoron mostly from Japan.

The markets raided were Mahboob, Capitol, Jamia, Kamilin, Noor, Cochinwala and Gordhandas market and almost all the leading fashion stores on Elphinstone Street were sealed.

A special investigation squad has been formed by the Collector to expedite the cases swiftly and judiciously.

The assessment of the value of the goods seized was being made and will be finalised today.

Import of foreign cloth was banned late in 1865; and the importers were given more than year to clear their stocks, Mr S.K. Rahim said.