LONDON: A large amount of heroin ‘concealed in packets’ was seized from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) PK-785 in an intelligence-based operation, UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed to media on Tuesday.
“National Crime Agency officers are investigating following the seizure of a large quantity of heroin found by the Border Force officers onboard a flight from Pakistan at Heathrow on Monday, May 15. No arrests have been made enquiries are ongoing,” an NCA spokesman told media.
Earlier, 13 crew members of PIA PK-785 who had arrived from Islamabad were detained at the Heathrow Airport. The crew members were kept in detention for five hours, and according to UK Border Agency (UKBA) sources, information had been received from Pakistan that there were narcotics onboard the flight. According to the information, there was a suspicion that the crew might be involved and that narcotics were hidden in different panels and areas of the plane.
The crew was released at 2am (GMT) after being questioned and their passports were held by the UKBA which states that further questioning might take place. PIA Station Manager Sajid Ullah confirmed that the authorities had handed back the passport of the pilot, while the rest of the crew would get its passports today (Wednesday).
Customs authorities in Pakistan have started an investigation into how the plane laden with heroin was provided clearance to fly. The PIA crew said that the customs authorities carried out a thorough search going through each and every thing, adding they had no clue as to why such treatment was meted out to them.
The crew members said the authorities also questioned them and inquired the crew members what part of the plane were they assigned to. In a statement, the Metropolitan police said action against PIA crew members was taken by the UKBA which was directly dealt by the Home Office.
Earlier, PIA sources said that the UKBA and the NCA had yet to notify the airline about the discovery of heroin in the plane. The UKBA, however, has said that the PIA had been notified in both Pakistan and in the UK.
Both PIA and the NCA confirmed that 30 UKBA agents participated in the operation last night. The agents were equipped with cameras, and conducted live filming to secure evidence, assisted by sniffing dogs, who were also brought on the plane.
The operation on the plane continued for three hours, after which the plane was declared clean following the complete removal of heroin.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the PIA said the crew members were not detained. According to the spokesperson, the 13 crew members, including the pilot, had finished their duties after flying from Islamabad to London. “They were never scheduled to fly on PK-785, from London to Lahore, in the first place,” the spokesperson added.
According to the spokesperson, PK-785 landed in Lahore earlier today accompanied with a new crew. The original crew stayed back in London after its duty had ended, as per schedule, the spokesperson claimed.
Passports of the crew members had been returned. “PIA management in London was trying to find out reasons behind the searching of the plane and reports of detention,” he added. Protest will be lodged over the heavy-handedness of the police.