Customs foils bid to smuggle iPhones worth over Rs20m

Smugglers lure Umrah pilgrims to bring expensive phones with them

KARACHI, PAKISTAN:

The Pakistan Customs Jinnah Terminal Collectorate, acting on a tip-off, foiled an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of cell phones.

The collectorate was informed that an organised group of smugglers would try to smuggle the high-value iPhones through Umrah pilgrims under a new strategy. The department enhanced the vigilance and checking of luggage of incoming international passengers especially those using green channel.

On suspicion the customs officials stopped some passengers, coming from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah on Emirates flight via Dubai, and scanned their luggage which revealed empty boxes of cell phones in their bags.

Collector Jinnah Terminal Shafiq Ladki said that the passengers could not give satisfactory answer to why they carried empty boxes. The customs authorities then carried out body search of passengers and found 51 expensive iPhones they had tied around their waste and legs near ankles. The recovered iPhones include 25 units of 15 ProMax 12 units of 14 ProMax, 14 units of 11 Promax and 12 units of ProMax. The value of these smuggled iPhones is estimated at over Rs20 million. Through the smuggling of these cell phones an amount of Rs8.8 million could have been evaded in duty and taxes.

Shafiq Ladki said that smugglers were trying to take advantage of the facility of faster airport arrival services for Umrah pilgrims. He said that organised groups encourage pilgrims to bring up to 10 iPhones for which they are offered cheap tickets and extra money. He said that customs has arrested three people who smuggled iPhones and obtained remand from the competent court.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2023.