Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) thwarted an attempt to smuggle 15 kilogrammes of heroin through a Jeddah-bound flight late Tuesday night.
PIA’s security and vigilance team was on its routine pre-departure search of a B-777 aircraft at Jinnah International Airport when it recovered approximately 15kg of heroin, spokesperson Danyal Gilani said in a statement.
The flight, PK-7121, was scheduled to travel from Karachi to Jeddah, he added. Gilani further said officials of Airport Security Force (ASF), Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and Pakistan Customs were also part of the search team.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PIA Bernd Hildenbrand ordered immediate inquiry and detailed investigation of the matter, the statement added. He emphasised that strict action should be ensured against those responsible for the crime, which not only brings a bad name to the airline but also to the country, it concluded.
Flight to resume after clearance
Meanwhile, PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani added the flight will be operational as soon as the aircraft is cleared by relevant agencies. The passengers, in the meantime, have been provided hotel accommodation.
Gilani further said that a return flight, PK-7122 (Jeddah-Karachi), faced delay as a consequence of the earlier occurrence, saying the passengers have been accommodated in a local hotel.
On September 5, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Sindh claimed to have seized bid to smuggle heroin to Saudi Arabia and Dubai via a shipment at the airport’s Jinnah Terminal. The narcotics were hidden in marble decorated material, said the ANF spokesperson. The seized narcotics include 4.6 kilogrammes of heroin and 8.9 kilogrammes of crystal. The force had also taken into custody a suspect and started investigation.
In a similar incident in July, Customs authorities at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport recovered 20 kilogrammes of heroin from a UK-bound passenger as he was about to board a flight bound for London. A dozen bottles of imported liquor were seized at Multan International port by customs depatment.
