LAHORE: The Special Federal Court of Customs Taxation and Anti-Smuggling has approved judicial remand of two suspects who were arrested in a gold smuggling case at the Lahore airport.
Earlier, they were in the custody of customs investigation team on a physical remand for three days. The Customs Preventive last week foiled a bid to smuggle gold jewellery worth Rs 31.50 million at Lahore airport and arrested two suspects.
According to details, the customs investigation team presented them before the court of Chaudary Ameer Muhammad Khan and asked for their physical remand to meet the required investigation. Earlier, Customs Court approved five days and then three days physical remand of the accused and handed them over to the investigation team.
Earlier sources told Customs Today that on information of Assistant Collector Customs Asim Awan that an attempt will be made to smuggle a huge quantity of gold jewellery to Dubai, the customs officials took their positions at the international departure hall of the airport.
The sources said that during the clearance of passengers of flight number EK-623, who were about to leave for Dubai, was in progress when a woman was thoroughly searched after she refused that she was not carrying anything illegal.
The women was identified as Miss Saba, a resident of Garden Town, Lahore when searched on suspicion, the customs officials recovered 20 bangles of gold from her luggage.
It was further revealed that afterwards the women adored herself with ten more bangles on her arms which the customs authorities recovered from her.
The sources said that the jewellery was handed over to her by her male companion who was also arrested by the customs authorities from the boarding hall. The accused was identified as Adil Subhani son of Muhammad Asif, a resident of Akram Park Shad Bagh, Lahore.
The customs authorities also said that the accused was wearing 540 grams gold chain and a bangle on his neck and arm. The accused person was holding British passport, it was added that a total of 7316 grams gold jewellery was recovered from the accused party from which they failed to satisfied the customs authorities as to why they were carrying the huge quantity from Lahore to Dubai along with themselves.
