KARACHI: Deputy Collector Amjad Aman Leghari, currently deployed at arrival section of Karachi airport said that an advanced passengers information system will be introduced at the airport to maintain database of passengers.
During an interview with Customs Today, Leghari said that the Customs authorities had prepared the concept paper of the plan and it would hopefully be materialized very soon.
“Initially, the passengers profiling would be started with Emirates Airlines and the PIA and it would be expanded to other airlines at a later stage,” he added.
The profiling of passengers would help identify the risky passengers, maintain database of frequent travellers so as to maintain a vigil on the anti-social elements, the deputy collector said.
Informing about the performance, Leghari said that a total of 460 seizures were made from July 2015 to January 31, 2016 that made a recovery of around $ 1 million. Besides, the authorities have foiled a large number of smuggling bids, covering an amount of Rs 155.131 million.
“Chief Collector Enforcement South Zahid Khokhar and Collector Syed Tariq Huda are always there to encourage and support the Customs staff for their efforts against smuggling and anti-social elements,” he said.
Elaborating further, the deputy collector said that cellular phones worth Rs 2,933,000 were recovered on January 20, 2015. And cellular phones and gold jewellery worth Rs 3,500,000 were also recovered from a passenger on March 25, 2015.
Moreover, the customs staff recovered foreign origin smuggled medicines from Mrs Farrukh that cost Rs 26,663,050 on April 20, 2015 and some 120 tolas of gold from a passenger worth Rs 5,544,000 on April 20, 2015, Amjad Leghari added.
In the month of June 2015, DC Amjad said, the authorities recovered mobile phones and accessories worth Rs 696,900; on June 4, mobile phones and jewlery worth Rs 10,900,000; on June 10, some 2.99 kg gold/silver worth Rs 518,750; on June 16, at least 216 cellular phones worth Rs 2,181,600 and cell phones worth Rs 2,383,600 on June 25, 2015.
DC Arrivals JIAK further told that the staff intercepted a passenger and recovered gold jewellery worth Rs 4810050 on September 1, 2015 and gold jewellery worth Rs 2640000 on June 7, 2015.
In October, 358 cellular phones were recovered by the customs authorities on 14; cell phones worth Rs 483,000 on 20 and cell phones worth Rs 2,111,500 on 30.
According to Amjad Leghari, cellular phones worth Rs 4,004,000 were recovered on November 8 and 1264 mobile phones worth Rs 25,209,000 on November 25.
Furthermore, in a major action against the drug mafia, the customs authorities foiled a bid and recovered 1500 grams of cocaine worth Rs 22,500,000 on December 13, cocain from a foreigner worth Rs 22,050,000 on December 15 while 947 cellular phones worth Rs 9943,500.
