ISLAMABAD: The Customs staff deputed at New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) recovered 30 mobile phones worth Rs3 million from a woman smuggler.
The accused, Shumaila Sundus, tried to escape without getting her luggage examined by customs staff. One protocol officer of Sindh House Islamabad, Abdul Rehman Bilu, was also found to be facilitator of the accused who was using his protocol card.
Additional Collector Nisar Phulerwal informed Customs Today that Collector Zulfiqar Ali Chaudhry shared information that an organized women group involved in smuggling will attempt to smuggle huge quantity of mobile phones. The collector also came to know that some government officials use their protocol cards to provide facilitation to the said notorious women smuggler group.
After directions of the collector, the vigilance was tightened at NIIA. On Tuesday around 3:30am, during checking the Customs staff found 20 costly foreign-origin mobile phones in the luggage of a female passenger namely Sumaila Sundas who was coming from Abu Dhabi via Etihad Airways Flight No.EY-231.
Nisar Phulerwal further said that the accused first tried to escape the customs counter through green channel without getting her luggage checked. During initial interrogation, she told that protocol officer of Sindh House Islamabad namely Abdul Rehman was also present at the international arrival hall to receive the woman.
He said that when Customs staff interrogated the Sindh House protocol officer, he said that the accused is the daughter of Secretary Sindh, but later he said that the accused is a relative of one of his friends and he came to receive her.
The Customs staff found that the accused woman failed to produce any legal import documents of mobile phones so the phones were seized under relevant Customs laws of 1969, while further investigation is under process.
