RAWALPINDI: Customs authorities claimed to have unearthed a gang, including an employee of PIA, allegedly involved in foreign currency smuggling and money laundering as they foiled a bid to smuggle foreign currency valuing Rs30.86 million at the Islamabad International Airport (IIA) on Friday.

A PIA loader, who allegedly facilitated the two members of the suspected gang, has also been arrested. The suspects confessed to smuggling foreign currency several times.

PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar confirmed to Dawn that a loader of the airlines had been arrested by the customs authorities.

According to sources, the two passengers carrying the foreign currency had been cleared from security checks and one of them was occupying his seat in a Dubai-bound flight (PK-233) when a raiding team headed by Ayesha Wani, additional collector customs, nabbed him.

Later, the team also arrested his accomplice from the departure lounge. The suspects were identified as Ghulam Dastagir, a resident of Kohat, and Inayat Khan, of Peshawar.

The suspects were carrying dollars, euros, pounds, Kuwaiti dinars, Omani riyals and UAE dirhams.

A press release issued by the customs department said the involvement of airlines staff in the smuggling cannot be ruled out. The suspects told investigators that the currencies were owned by Waqas Khan, a resident of KP, and had been handed over to them by the PIA loader, Yasir, at the departure lounge.

A customs spokesman said raids were being conducted to arrest other members of the gang. The customs department said it was the second seizure of such a huge foreign currency after model Ayyan Ali was caught at Benazir Bhutto International Airport on March 14, 2015, with over $506,000 before flying to Dubai.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2018