The Pakistan Customs on Monday claimed to have arrested three passengers returning from Saudia and recovered 51 iPhones from their possession. According to a spokesman for Customs, the Pakistan Customs Airport Collectorate staff stationed at the International Arrival Lounge of Jinnah International Airport (JIAP) during the clearance of passengers intercepted a group of Umrah pilgrims arriving in Karachi from Saudia via Dubai.
The group, which included children and women, was stopped on suspicion and their luggage was searched by customs staff. During scanning, empty boxes of mobile phones were identified in the luggage of these Umrah pilgrims, then the customs staff inquired about the mobile phones from the said passengers, to which they failed to satisfy the authorities. When the customs authorities searched the clothes of these passengers, they recovered 51 iPhones from the possession of these passengers. The recovered phones include iPhone (15) 25 pieces, iPhone (14) 12 pieces and iPhone (11/12) 14 pieces. The value of mobile phones was Rs. 18.6 million on which Rs. 8.8 million were payable as duty/taxes under the prevailing law.
A case had been registered against the accused under the Customs Act and three accused had been arrested. The court had given remand of the arrested and further investigations were underway. According to the customs officials, the smugglers have come up with a new trick to smuggle mobile phones using innocent passengers and Umrah pilgrims by luring them with offering cheap tickets and money on flights to Pakistan to bring iPhones. Because pilgrims returning to Pakistan are given utmost respect.
