KARACHI: The Customs Collectorate is expanding the circle of investigation towards the affairs of senior PIA management in Islamabad, particularly for the recovery of heroin powder from the lavatory of a PIA aircraft flying from Islamabad to Dubai.
“The Customs Preventive authorities recovered around 29 kilograms heroin powder from PIA aircraft with an international values of Rs 290 million.
According to details, the customs staff led by Ali Raza Turabi, Deputy Collector and Amjad Aman Leghari, Deputy Collector checked PIA aircraft bearing registration number AP-BGK-777 parked at Bay-2 inside Isphahani Hanger, old Terminal JIAP Karachi for maintenance. The aircraft was deployed as PK-744 on 21-5-2016 for Islamabad-Jeddah sector, then PK-760 on 22-5-2016 for Jeddah-:Lahore and finally PK-305 from Lahore to Karachi sectors on the same day. After landing at Karachi airport, the said aircraft was parked in the above mentioned hanger for maintenance.
In another action, a spot information was received to the customs authorities that some more heroin was concealed in the cavities of the same aircraft. Accordingly a team of customs staff posted at JIAP led by Syed Asad Raza Rizvi, Additional Collector JIAP and Ali Raza Turabi, Deputy Collector Customs immediately reached to the pointed PIA aircraft which was still parked at Bay-2. The search resulted into the recovery of two polythene packets containing light brown 1 kilogram heroin powder recovered from two lavatories at 2F1R and 3F1L (one packet from each lavatory) duly concealed in the ceiling panels of the said aircraft.
In yet another action, another credible information was received to the customs authorities that some heroin is concealed in the cavities of PIA air craft bearing registration number AP-BGJ-777 parked at Bay-25 JIAP, Karachi arrived from Jeddah as PK-762. Accordingly a team of customs staff posted at JIAP led by Syed Asad Raza Rizvi, Additional Collector and Ali Raza Turabi immediately reached to the above mentioned PIA aircraft. The search in presence of PIA Engineering and Security Staff resulted into recovery of one black color polythene packet containing light brown heroin powder 700 grams recovered from the concealment in the heating compound adjacent to the commode of aircraft lavatory No 3F-LC duly. The recovered heroin was also tested with Narcotics Testing Kit and found heroin.
According to sources, Collector Preventive SM Tariq Huda is taking the heroin smuggling case as serious and tasked Deputy Collector Ali Raza Sipra and Amjad Aman Leghari for the investigations.
The sources disclosed that the Customs Preventive has also submitted the final challan before the court establishing that three employees of PIA were involved in attempting to transport contraband items by placing the same in the lavatory of the aircraft.
It is interested to note that these three employees including Sheikh Mohammad Akmal, Asad Jamil both cleaners in PIA and Mohammad Sohail engineering helper were sacked by the management of PIA on the basis of involvement in the scam.
