Bid to smuggle Rs20m worth of gold foiled

24,000 memory cards also seized from three passengers arriving from Dubai

KARACHI: Officials of the Pakistan Customs claimed on Monday to have foiled smuggling of five kilogrammes (kg) of gold to Karachi.

The action was taken by the preventive staff of the Pakistan Customs posted at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. A Customs spokesperson said that the action was taken by officials after Customs Deputy Collector Yousuf Ali Khan provided information regarding possible smuggling of gold. "We had a tip-off about the arrival of three passengers with smuggled gold," said the spokesperson. "The passengers were arriving from Dubai on Emirates airline flight EK-602. We intercepted the passengers and foiled the smuggling bid."



The passengers, who were intercepted and later arrested, were identified as Muhammad Imran, Anila Haroon and Maheen Patel. The Customs officials also claimed to have recovered a huge cache of memory cards from their possession. According to the spokesperson, 5kg of gold jewellery worth nearly Rs20 million and 24,000 memory cards worth Rs2.5 million were recovered from the suspects during physical checking. "The suspects had hidden jewellery and memory cards in the clothes they were wearing," revealed the spokesperson. A case was registered against them and further investigations are under way.