Man held at airport with 15kg gold, foreign currency

LAHORE
Collector Customs Mukarram Jah Wednesday revealed that customs officials could check only five per cent of total passengers at airports as per policy of the federal government.
Addressing a press conference at Customs House on Wednesday, Mukarram Jah said customs officials had increased their vigilance at airports to check capital flights to stop smuggling of dollars, gold, etc. Mukarram said on secret information, customs airport staff on Wednesday recovered 15-kg gold and currency of Rs 33.20 million from passenger Abdul Basit who was heading to Dubai on a private plane. He said the value of gold is Rs 60 million. He said a four-member team led by Saqib-ur-Rehman, In charge Customs at Allama Iqbal Airport, had been formed to investigate the matter.
He claimed in the past few months, customs officials foiled attempts of smuggling gold and rupees including 3.97 kg gold jewellery and gold biscuits on March 25, 2015, 2.550 kg and 1.524 kg gold jewellery, biscuits and diamonds on April 29 and May 5, 2015 respectively. To a question, Mukarram said actions will be taken against all those found involved in smuggling including the customs officials. To another question, the collector customs said they had not received any particular instructions from the quarter concerned for checking of any celebrity at airports after model Ayan Ali’s alleged smuggling case.