KARACHI: Pakistan Customs officials successfully thwarted a major smuggling attempt at Jinnah International Airport on Thursday morning, recovering gold jewelry, gold bars, and foreign currency valued at approximately Rs 190 million.
The Operation
According to Customs authorities, the action was taken at the International Arrival terminal. A suspicious passenger, holding a Pakistani passport, was intercepted upon his arrival from Abu Dhabi via Etihad Airways flight EY-296. The passenger was traveling with his family.
Recovery Details
During the initial scanning of the luggage, officials noticed discrepancies and directed the passenger to the Red Channel for a thorough inspection. Upon a detailed search of his checked-in luggage and hand-carry bags, officials recovered 281 Tolas of 22-karat gold jewelry, two 24-karat gold bars weighing 10 Tolas each, 33,100 US Dollars, and 366,000 UAE Dirhams.
Legal Action
The total market value of the seized gold and currency is estimated to be around 19 crore Pakistani Rupees. Customs officials have registered a formal case against the individual. The recovered assets have been confiscated under the relevant sections of the Customs Act, 1969, and further investigations are currently underway to determine the extent of the smuggling network.
