PIA airhostess detained over gold smuggling attempt

Sources say Nuzhat Bukhari was trying to smuggle two kilogrammes of gold to United States via a PIA flight

LAHORE: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) claimed on Tuesday to have arrested a senior Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) airhostess from Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport in connection with an attempt to smuggle gold to the United States (US).

A case was registered against Nuzhat Bukhari, a senior airhostess of the national flag carrier, after two kilogrammes of gold were recovered from her luggage during a routine search at the airport, sources told The Express Tribune. The suspect reportedly confessed that she was trying to smuggle gold from Lahore to New York via PIA flight PK-721. The woman was later handed over to Customs officials for further investigation.



The incident came just a day after the ANF claimed to have arrested a family, including two children, from Lahore airport and recovered one kilogramme of heroin from their luggage. The suspects were identified as Zahoor John Samuel s/o John Samuel, Asma Mazhar, four-year-old Shan Mazhar and five-year-old Ayan Mazhar.

Last week, the ANF had apprehended a PIA official for allegedly smuggling heroin on various flights. Iqbal Ghurki was rounded up from Lahore for stashing away bags of heroin in several flights of the national flag carrier. Authorities at PIA were also informed about the arrest. However, PIA Spokesperson Daniyal Gilani did not directly address the arrest, saying some officials of the national flag carrier had been handed over to agencies for investigation.



It was during the month of May when Customs officials recovered over 27 kilogrammes of heroin from a PIA aircraft during an intelligence-based raid in Karachi. Officials conducted the raid at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport and seized nine packets of heroin from the lavatory of a Europe-bound aircraft parked in the hangar. In November last year, three kilogrammes of heroin were found in a Dubai-bound PIA flight.