Customs seizes goods worth Rs20 million

Goods worth Rs20 million have been seized by the customs at the Karachi airport in the last three days, said customs spokesman Qamar Thalho on Tuesday.

One kilogramme of silver and 110 grammes of gold were found in the possession of a passenger who was flying to Dubai through an Emirates airline from the Jinnah International Airport, said the customs spokesman.

He said the passenger had crossed the ASF and the ANF checks at the departure lounge but he was caught by the custom officials when silver and gold were found concealed in his baggage. An FIR had been lodged and the passenger had been arrested, he added.

Separately, two passengers coming from Dubai were caught with commercial goods worth over Rs10 million, including sunglasses, watches, cell phones and more electronic items, he said. An FIR had been registered and the passengers had been held, he added.

Meanwhile, he said 18 antique coins had been found at the International Mail Office by the Drugs Enforcement Cell of the customs at the Karachi Airport. The parcel was booked in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area and was being delivered to Brazi, he added.

A month ago, he said seven antique coins had also been seized. Similarly, he said 10 antique currency bills of the era of the Ottoman Empir had been found at the International Mail Office by the customs officials. He said the parcel was booked in Lahore and was being

delivered to Turkey. He said there was a possibility of an organised gang involved in smuggling precious antique assets out of Pakistan.