ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was informed on Wednesday that headway had been made in the investigation into the smuggling of drugs to London through a PIA plane, leading to some arrests.

Anti-Narcotics Force (ANP) Director General Maj Gen Musarat Nawaz Malik, who established a telephonic contact with the minister, said more significant progress was also expected.

The minister observed that the attempt to smuggle narcotics through the national flag-carrier was a grave crime and a bid to damage the country’s dignity and honour. He said those involved in the crime deserved no leniency.

The minister directed the ANF chief to conclude the investigations as early as possible. He appreciated the professional role of the ANF in the investigation of the case.

A large amount of heroin was seized from the PIA flight - PK-785 - in an intelligence-based operation at the Heathrow Airport London last month.

Chaudhry Nisar directs ANF to conclude investigations as soon as possible

The crew members, including pilot Captain Hamid Gardezi, co-pilot Sikandar Khan, flight purser Shamshad Agha, Shama Zuberi, Tanvir Fatima, M. Shajeel, Imran Khan, Atif Ali Qureshi, Bilal, Neelofar Zulfiqar Memon, Nazneen Iqbal, Mehwish Jahan, Sana Iqbal, Munaza Yasmeen, Sana Nasim and Sadia Kanwal, were detained for eight hours at the airport by the customs based on information that drugs were being smuggled through the aircraft with the likelihood of some crew members being involved. The plane had arrived in London from Karachi.

The crew baggage was searched and each member, including the pilot, questioned. The customs allowed them to leave the airport after taking their fingerprints. However, the police confiscated their passports which were returned to them later.

There is a standard operating procedure which requires a thorough checking of an aircraft’s interior and cargo holds by a joint team of customs, ASF, ANF and the concerned airline technical staff. Sniffer dogs are also used by the ANF and ASF to detect any hidden drugs following issuance of a clearance certificate to the captain before the departure.

Meanwhile, since the recovery of a significant quantity of heroin from another London-bound PIA flight at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport on May 22, the national flag carrier’s 33 flights have been delayed due to inspection by the ANF, customs and security checking.

The 33 affected PIA flights included both domestic and international.

They include 22 flights to Muscat, Damman, Jeddah, Madina, Lahore, Copenhagen, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Karachi. The delays in the departure of the flights were from one minute to three hours.

PK-711 from Karachi to Lahore was delayed for 30 minutes due to the late clearance of the aircraft by the ANF personnel while PK-237 from Karachi to Abu Dhabi was delayed for 48 minutes due the inspection by the ANF and customs.

According to a source, the delay started on May 29 when PK-715 from Multan to Madian was delayed for 20 minutes due an inspection by the ANF.

A PIA London-bound flight PK-785 was delayed for three hours and 35 minutes at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport on May 29 while PK-753 from Islamabad to Riyadh was delayed for one hour and 27 minutes due to the late clearance by the ANF.

PIA spokesman Mashhood Tajwar told Dawn that the delay in the departure of flights, especially those operating on the international routes, was causing problems to passengers as well as the airline.

However, he said, the airline had to abide by the rules and regulations and wait for the clearance by the ANF, customs and other relevant authorities.

“We can request the concerned authorities only to complete their process of inspections within the allotted time,” he said.

ANF spokesman Riaz Somro could not be contacted for comments.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2017