KARACHI: Chief Collector Enforcement South Zahid Khokhar has stated that the staff of the Air Freight Unit AFU has recovered precious antiques worth $10 million in the international market.
He was addressing a press conference held at AFU. MCC Preventive Collector Tariq Huda, Additional Collector AFU Tahir Qureshi, Deputy Collector AFU Amjad Leghari and others were also present on the occasion.
The chief collector said there was an information that highly valuable antiques will be smuggled to some Far Eastern country. Therefore, a strict check was ensured in the light of the reports.
On December 17, 2015, the Customs Preventive staff deputed at international departure lounge of Jinnah International Airport, Karachi intercepted four passengers identified as Raheel Shakeel, Muhammad Javed and Irfan Ahmed and Faisal Jamal along with their collective baggage comprising 11 packages after having been passed through the ASF baggage Scanning machines, Zahid Khokhar added.
The examination of their baggage was conducted after completion of all legal formalities but nothing objectionable was recovered from nine packages, however, examination of two wooden boxes led to recovery of very old articles of metals, statues, stone leaves, pottery statues, bengals, said to be precious metal studded with stones and iron blades etc belonging to very old age and pre-historic era and it was firmly believed that these items may fall within the specification of antiques, the chief collector went on to say.
Therefore, both the wooden boxes were detained for examination and expert opinion as well as valuation by the Archaelogical Department, Government of Sindh, Karachi. Subsequently, a letter No P-12/2015-JIAP dated 17-12-2015 was sent to the Director Archaeological Department, Government of Sindh at Karachi for physical examination of the objects and expert opinion with regard to the status, confirmation and valuation etc.
A team of three experts of Archeology Department visited International Departure, JIAP on 18-12-2015 and conducted examination of the said objects and finally superintendent, culture department, National Museum of Pakistan, Government of Sindh Karachi submitted its report vide letter No 20/6/2015 (Custom)-1095 dated 18-12-2015 whereby, it has been confirmed that the said items are of antiquity and belonged to the pre-historic era, worth about 10 million dollars, thus falls within the purview of Antiques Act, 1975. Accused passenger have been arrested and FIR lodged. This is biggest ever haul at the airport.
