Customs seizes smuggled electronic items worth Rs10.5m

Personnel of the Model Customs Collectorate Airport Karachi have foiled the smuggling of electronic goods worth Rs10.5 million, according to Syed Irfan Ali, a spokesman for the Customs.

He said that after receiving a tip-off, the Customs staff stationed at the International Arrival Lounge of the Jinnah International Airport stopped two Pakistani passengers, Mueez Ali and Kashif Butt, who had arrived from Sharjah on Air Arabia flight G9542, and checked their suitcases.

He added that mobile phones and other electronic items were founded in the suitcases, following which the luggage was transferred to the Customs examination counter, where a complete examination was done in the presence of the passengers.

The spokesman said that a large number of mobile phones, tablets and Apple smart phones were recovered. He said that watches, smart wristbands and food items were also recovered, with the total value of the items coming to an estimated $47,000 (approximately Rs10.5 million).

He also said the Customs duties and taxes on the items amounts to Rs5.2 million. After registering a case, the passengers were formally arrested and remanded from the competent court, he added. The Customs staff stationed at the International Departure Lounge also seized a large amount of cloth from the luggage of passengers travelling to Dubai by the Emirates Airlines.