Customs officials at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, successfully foiled multiple smuggling attempts on Saturday, leading to the arrest of several individuals. The most notable incident involved the seizure of over one kilogram of ice heroin from a passenger attempting to board a flight to Bahrain. The suspect was stopped based on suspicion, and a thorough search of his luggage revealed the concealed drugs. Customs authorities arrested the passenger, and an investigation into the smuggling attempt is currently underway.
In another incident, customs officials intercepted two Dubai-bound passengers attempting to smuggle over AED 100,000 out of Pakistan.
The individuals, identified as Muntazir Mehdi and Mohammad Kashif, were stopped during routine checks before boarding a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Dubai. The passengers claimed the money was intended for the purchase of videography equipment, but customs officers seized the cash and initiated legal proceedings against them for violating currency regulations. Additionally, customs officials thwarted a money laundering attempt involving a passenger traveling to Doha. During an inspection of the suspect’s luggage, officials recovered $20,000 in undeclared cash.
The currency was confiscated, and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the passenger. An investigation is ongoing to uncover any larger network behind the smuggling and laundering operations. These successful operations highlight the increased vigilance of customs authorities in combating smuggling and money laundering at Karachi’s international airport, safeguarding both national security and financial integrity.
