Valuable change: Customs seize antique coins at airport

RAWALPINDI: Customs officials seized a large quantity of antique coins from a passenger flying abroad at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) on Wednesday.  According to Customs Assistant Collector (AC) Ghulam Ali, a customs team intercepted Mehar Nabi of Peshawar, who was booked to fly to Kashgar, China at 6:30am. While checking his luggage, 2,210 antique coins from different periods were recovered from his baggage, the AC said. He said the Customs department later contacted the Department of Archeology and Museums in Islamabad for verification. The archeology department verified that most of the coins were antiques of Mughal, Arab Sassanid, Dehli Sultanate and Greek origin, he said. Customs seized the coins and lodged an FIR against Nabi with the Investigation and Prosecution Branch of Model Collectorate of Customs, Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2014.