KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistani customs authorities seized over 21,000 rounds of ammunition and other arms components in a major smuggling attempt at the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan, the country’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said on Tuesday.
Citing FBR officials, Pakistani media reported that the seizure occurred during routine cargo inspections. Authorities stopped a vehicle arriving from Afghanistan and, after a physical inspection, discovered submachine-gun bullets and rifle cartridges hidden in secret compartments.
According to the report, the confiscated items included 14,020 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 3,300 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 1,700 rounds of SMG ammunition, one SMG weapon, 20 SMG magazines, and various other arms components.
Pakistani authorities described the incident as a deliberate and organized attempt to undermine Pakistan’s public safety and national security, and said a criminal case has been registered with further legal proceedings underway.
The seizure comes amid tense Pakistan-Taliban relations over cross-border militancy, which last year led to repeated border clashes, closures, and disruptions to trade and movement.
Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant attacks since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, with groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) intensifying operations against security forces, particularly in border provinces Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of providing shelter and support to militant groups. Pakistani officials have also warned that arms left behind after the withdrawal of Western forces in Afghanistan have increasingly fallen into the hands of these groups, fueling cross-border smuggling and attacks.
“Pakistan is seriously concerned about the presence of stockpiles of sophisticated arms and ammunition in Afghanistan, as noted in the Secretary General’s reports,” Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said at a UN Security Council meeting in November. “These weapons pose a direct threat to neighboring countries. The international community needs to step up its efforts to effectively address these threats to international and regional peace and security.”
