RAWALPINDI: The Airport Security Force (ASF) on Tuesday foiled an attempt to smuggle 8.4 kg of heroin to Italy from Islamabad and arrested a passenger at Benazir Bhutto Airport.

The seizure was made when the check-in for Qatar Airways flight QR 615 was in progress.

According to the airport sources, when the drug trafficker saw the security staff was vigilant, he left his bag containing the narcotics and proceeded to the departure lounge to board the flight.

A senior security official said when they spotted the bag, they launched a search for its owner.

“After viewing the footages on CCTV, the passenger, who was proceeding to Milan Italy by Qatar Airways flight was spotted in departure lounge,” he said, adding that first he denied that it was his bag but when he was shown his CCTV footages he was left with no option but to own it.

During search, the ASF staff recovered 8.4kg heroin concealed in the cavities of the bag.

Later the accused was handed over to the anti-narcotics force for further investigation.