LAHORE: The customs officials have confiscated about 3,070 mobile phones from passengers travelling by different flights during various raids on the Allama Iqbal International Airport in a year from January 2017 to end of December 2017.
Sources told Customs Today that officers conducted operations in different flights coming from various countries in said period.
Flights were coming from Dubai to Lahore, Turkey to Lahore, Jeddah to Lahore and Muscat to Lahore. The customs took action in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights, Turkish Airways flight, Gulf Air and Saudi Air flight.
The customs had allowed a number of passengers to go after seizures of mobiles from their possession while several cases had also been registered against the accused.
The value of the recovered mobile phones is more than Rs61.9million which is 193 percent more of value than the earning generated from the auction held last year. During one year of 2016, Pakistan Customs impounded almost 1000 cell phones from different passengers.
Recovered mobile phones were of different brands including Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Xiomi and HTC phones.
The customs has started strict checking of the luggage of the passengers, specially coming from European countries. Smuggling attempts are being thwarted by the customs authorities. A number of attempts of smuggling of foreign made mobile phones, accessories and other related items have also been frustrated by the customs.
