Call everyone, maybe? Four men held with 1,645 smart phones
Involvement of airline officials suspected
The official said that a case had been registered against the passengers and that further investigation may lead to the identification of airline staffers involved in the smuggling bid. PHOTO: NNI
RAWALPINDI:
Customs authorities at Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Saturday arrested four men and seized 1,645 smart phones from them.
The cell phones, worth around Rs20 million, were being smuggled from Dubai via a domestic airline’s flight, customs officials said.
The officials said that they got information that a large quantity of smart phones and other accessories were being smuggled from Dubai and the consignment was supposed to be passed through Rawal Lounge — a facility used for departure and arrival by VIPs.
Customs Vigilance Wing Inspector Muhammad Ejaz intercepted four passengers carrying four carryon bags at the lounge.
The four passengers were identified as Muhammad Faisal Memon, Nazeer Abdullah, residents of Karachi, and Nazeer Abdullah and Waqas Omer, residents of Kohat.
In their luggage, the Customs officials recovered 1,645 smart phones of various makes and models, and 10,700 memory cards.
A Customs official, asking not to be named, said that the smuggling bid would not have been possible without the help of airline staff. He explained that each of the four bags carried by the smugglers weighed over 40 kilograms, well above the allowance for carryon or even checked luggage.
The official said that a case had been registered against the passengers and that further investigation may lead to the identification of airline staffers involved in the smuggling bid.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2016.
Customs authorities at Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Saturday arrested four men and seized 1,645 smart phones from them.
The cell phones, worth around Rs20 million, were being smuggled from Dubai via a domestic airline’s flight, customs officials said.
The officials said that they got information that a large quantity of smart phones and other accessories were being smuggled from Dubai and the consignment was supposed to be passed through Rawal Lounge — a facility used for departure and arrival by VIPs.
Customs Vigilance Wing Inspector Muhammad Ejaz intercepted four passengers carrying four carryon bags at the lounge.
The four passengers were identified as Muhammad Faisal Memon, Nazeer Abdullah, residents of Karachi, and Nazeer Abdullah and Waqas Omer, residents of Kohat.
In their luggage, the Customs officials recovered 1,645 smart phones of various makes and models, and 10,700 memory cards.
A Customs official, asking not to be named, said that the smuggling bid would not have been possible without the help of airline staff. He explained that each of the four bags carried by the smugglers weighed over 40 kilograms, well above the allowance for carryon or even checked luggage.
The official said that a case had been registered against the passengers and that further investigation may lead to the identification of airline staffers involved in the smuggling bid.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2016.