RAWALPINDI: Seven PIA staff members were on Tuesday taken into custody in connection with an investigation into the recovery of heroin from a London-bound flight at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Monday.

The airline management has also started profiling of its staff to unearth the culprits.

However, 19 individuals, including PIA catering, security and cleaning staff members, who had been taken into custody for investigation by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), were on Tuesday allowed to go home.

The 19 staff members investigated by the ANF included three women cabin cleaners who were on duty with the PIA flight PK-785 at the airport.

According to a source, after the release of the 19 individuals, seven other PIA staff members were called for investigation on Tuesday.

However, none of them has been charged so far.

A senior official of the ANF told Dawn that an FIR had been registered on the complaint of Inspector Gohar Nabi Baig of the ANF. He claimed in the FIR that the 14.700 kg heroin was recovered hidden in the plane parked at Bay 9 of the airport.

He said the ANF would complete its investigation as soon as possible and whoever was found involved in the drug trafficking would be brought to justice.

The investigators have obtained the CCTV images of the plane while it was parked at the bay.

A PIA spokesperson said the profiling of the staff had been started and their movement restricted.

He said the installation of extra CCTV cameras had also been started to ensure foolproof security and keep an eye of the movement of the staff members.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2017