KARACHI: Collectorate of Customs team deputed at Jinnah International Airport have foiled two drug smuggling bids at the airport and sea and seized huge quantity of ‘ice’, heroin and hashish.
The collective worth of the seized drugs in the international market is estimated at Rs185 million.
In the first incident at the Jinnah International Airport, the customs staff posted at the International Departure Lounge stopped the suitcases of two Pakistani passengers — Hamdullah and Abdul Latif — travelling by Saudi Airlines via flight No SV 705 to Jeddah.
This led to recovery of 1.13kg of heroin powder and 260gram of amphetamine crystal drugs, which were concealed under the handle rods and inner cardboard of the suitcases.
A spokesperson for the customs said that both the suspects were arrested and a case was registered under the Customs and Narcotics Act.
Separately, the customs seized drugs worth Rs170m at open sea.
The official said that the Pakistan Customs Enforcement Collectorate, Karachi, Anti-Smuggling Organisation (ASO), acting on a tip-off about the presence of a suspicious launch in the sea near Rehri Goth, Kudaro Creek, constituted a team of customs officers and staff on their speedboat.
When the search started, a launch was detected and apprehended in the open sea near Rehri Goth.
The customs officers and staff searched the launch, as a result of which 10 polythene bags were found, from secret compartment specially made in the launch, wrapped in cotton bags said to be Amphetamine ice with a total weight of 10kg, and 20 bags of hashish with a total weight of 200kg were recovered.
“A total of 210kg of narcotics was recovered and taken into custody and confiscated, the total value of which is 170m,” the spokesperson said.
The launch used in smuggling worth Rs5m has also been seized, he added.
A case has been registered under the Customs and Narcotics Act, 1997, after taking possession of the recovered drugs and the launch. The launch and drugs have been transferred to the ASO headquarters at Ghas Bandar.
