Men held as bid to smuggle cell phones foiled

Two others caught carrying 1kg of meth-ice at Islamabad airport

ISLAMABAD: The customs department foiled an attempt to smuggle mobile phones from United Kingdom (UK) at New Islamabad International Airport.

The officials said that during the clearance of a private airline flight, luggage of a passenger, Shafiq, who hailed from Dina, Jhelum was stopped on suspicion. During inspection of his luggage some 150 mobile phones of different brands were found.

According to Assistant Collector Customs Farheen Zehra, the mobile phones have been seized and investigation has begun.

Two Umrah bound passengers were caught carrying drugs at IIA. Oblivious of the fact that they were going on a holy sojourn and that Saudi Arabia beheads people found carrying drugs, an aunt and nephew attempted taking crystal meth to the kingdom.

Airport Security Force (ASF) foiled the bid to smuggle almost one kilogramme of methamphetamine, commonly known by its street name ice, at Islamabad International Airport.

Officials said that Jaffar Ali and his paternal aunt, Amina Bibi, who hail from Swabi and Buner respectively were travelling to Saudi Arabia. The staff of Airport Security Force (ASF) raised suspicion on the embroidered dresses in their luggage during the scanning process. On checking, some 980 grammes of ice, considered to be worth millions of rupees in international market, was recovered.

The officials said the suspects wanted to leave for Umrah however they have been handed over to the Anti-Narcotic Force (ANF) for further investigation.

A man was looted by the people he thought did him a favour by giving him a lift on a deserted road.

Nasurullah told Taxila police that he was waiting for a passenger bus to Taxila. Meanwhile, a car stopped by with three people in it and offered him a lift to Taxila.

He accepted their offer and sat in the car however, en route the suspects threatened him and looted Rs70,000 along with his mobile phone. The suspects later forced him to get down from the car and fled away.

Police have registered a case against the suspects.

Meanwhile, police in Rawalpindi registered different cases of fraud and robberies in different areas of the city.

Hammad Qureshi told Wah Cantt police that two armed motorcyclists mugged him on gunpoint and fled away with Rs1,400 and a mobile phone.

Similarly, Muhammad Yousuf told the same precinct police that his grandson and wife were coming out of a hospital meanwhile, a suspect approached them and said that he was a doctor and offered them to get their money back which they had spent in the hospital.

The suspects managed to take them to a side and fled away with his wife’s bangles and mobile.

Further, Abdul Rehman told Rawat police that he went outside with his family.

On his return, he discovered that his house’s grill and net was broken. When he went inside, he saw that household items were lying were in disarray. The robbers had fled with Rs140,000 cash, Rs55,000 prize bonds and five tolas jewellery.

Muhammad Shoaib was handed over a bogus cheque of Rs300,000 in Pirwadhai  while Fayaz was given a fake cheque of Rs150,000 in Cantonment area.

Similarly, four motorcycles were reported stolen from different areas. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2019.