KARACHI: The Pakistan Customs has recovered around 29 kilograms of heroin from PIA aircrafts in the recent days. The value of the recovered heroin is around Rs 290 million in international market.
In this regard, Muhammad Zahid Khokhar, Chief Collector of Customs Enforcement South, S M Tariq Huda, Collector of Customs Preventive, Feroz Alam Junejo, Additional Collector, Preventive Headquarters, and Syed Asad Raza Rizvi, Additional Collector Preventive JIAP Karachi addressed a joint press conference to brief the media regarding three remarkable seizures of narcotics from PIA aircraft at Jinnah International Airport.
According to details, on 25-5-2016, a team of Customs staff posted at JIAP Karachi led by Ali Raza Turabi, Deputy Collector and Amjad Aman Leghari, Deputy Collector of Cusstoms Airport while acting upon tip off reached the pointed PIA aircraft bearing registration number AP-BGK-777 parked at Bay-2 inside Isphahani Hanger, old Terminal JIAP Karachi for maintenance.
The search of the above aircraft in the presence of PIA engineering and security staff led to the recovery of 9 small cotton bags containing off white heroin powder weighing 27 kilograms concealed in the rear portion of the air craft L-4 region located left to the galley. The recovered powder was instantly tested with the Narcotics Testing Kit which gave the positive inference of heroin.
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.
On 1-6-2016, 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.
On 3-6-2016 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.
Consequent upon recovery and seizures of the contraband heroin powder, FIRs of all the three cases have been lodged in the SpeciaCourt of Narcotics Karachi and further investigation are in process. Efforts are being made to arrest the culprits and their accomplices involved in the crime.
A high level investigation team led by the additional collector of Customs, has visited Islamabad and is currently conducting a comprehensive investigation at Karachi and Lahore to dig out the real culprit. The total quantity of the seized drugs is about 29 kilograms approximately and value as per international market is around Rs 290 million.
