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KARACHI: Pakistan International Airline’s (PIA) maintenance crew on Wednesday discovered 27 kilograms of heroin on board a PIA aircraft.
The heroin was concealed in lavatory panels, and was discovered while routine maintenance was being carried out at the PIA hangar at Karachi’s international airport.
The aircraft had arrived from Lahore on the evening of May 24, and was expected to fly onwards to Europe, but was instead sent to the hangar for routine maintenance.
“The aircraft was scheduled to go for maintenance, and was not scheduled to fly,” confirmed a PIA spokesperson, he added that he did not have any information regarding the craft’s flight schedule.
It is pertinent to mention that this is not the first attempt to smuggle illegal drugs using similar means. The authorities are aware of the method used by the smugglers but have yet to make any arrests.
The narcotics were confiscated by Customs and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) officials at Karachi airport. An investigation into the incident has been initiated.
Customs officials have in the past written letters to PIA for cooperation regarding probes into heroin smuggling aboard the national carrier’s aircraft, but have not received a satisfactory reply from the airline.
Earlier in September, Dawn reported that the management of PIA terminated the service of a flight steward who was caught by United Kingdom authorities at Heathrow airport while trying to smuggle mobile phones through a PIA flight.
PIA crew members have also been arrested in the past for attempting to smuggle narcotics on flights bound for international destinations.
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On DawnNews
Comments (24) Closed
May 25, 2016 01:16pm
PIA like other departments is full of criminals. It is creating bad name for the country. Cabin crew are playing a major role. Duties are purchased and sometimes, the cabin crew continuously fly in connecting flights without rest just to safeguard their smuggling targets. PIA union is to be blamed for all this mess. It is time PIA is cleared of smugglers, khepis, hawalas and drug traffickers. Madams are also involved in this business but they have blessings of bosses and Union. I am insider
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May 25, 2016 01:30pm
so how much till now gone to Europe same way.
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May 25, 2016 01:32pm
When you have govt and its official corrupt what should one expect from a PIA crew? If PM, his family, Finance Minister & other are involved money laundering then others probably think that it their right also to be involved in all kinds of hanky panky business. Pakistan can never move forward until and unless we get rid of corruption and it should start from top down. How did Chinese get rid of drug smuggling and its use and are now the second largest economy in the world? Taking tough decisions and actions.
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May 25, 2016 02:00pm
Let us find out who is the culprit and then punish him per the laws of the land.
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May 25, 2016 02:02pm
Another feather in the PIA's cap................
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May 25, 2016 02:39pm
Job well done! Saves the country from embarrassment if the flight had gone to Europe and caught there!
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May 25, 2016 03:31pm
The time is near when PIA will be banned to fly overseas by the international community.It seem that the current government is pushing the strings to defame PIA so that they can deliver PIA to their liking and long term benefits.
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May 25, 2016 03:33pm
What a shame!!!!
How long we have to wait to get rid of corrupt people from Pakistan.
Time is running out - our passports, NICs and all documents issued by government are randomly fake and now the national carrier is a global drug supplier.
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May 25, 2016 03:42pm
What a trick, as internal flights has less checking for drugs, someone got this evil idea hide the drugs before an internal flight that plane will go on international flight later, get some cleaners on board on destination airport who will remove this. well thought out plan and may have worked very well in the past, not possible without insider information who knows the schedule!
Last time i checked airport services company of Shujaat Azeem (Sharifs favourite) has good chunk of PIA and other airline cleaning services contract.
PMLN Senator Mushahid ullah appointed his brothers and a cousin as PIA station heads of London, Paris and New York! how con incidental!
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May 25, 2016 03:50pm
It has been reported in the world media that, 90% of the narcotics originate from Afghanistan and most of it goes to the world through Pakistan.
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May 25, 2016 04:01pm
The kings family has a magic wand where they can make their private entities to flourish with in months into profit making of millions of $ while the same family when running state run entities manages to bring them on their knees case in point PIA Steel Mills and so on.It is done deliberately as if these entities are making money how would the be able to sell it for peanuts to their own front men.IPP's is the example in front of us.
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May 25, 2016 04:19pm
One doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that its an inside job by people working for the airline. And the managements casual approach to this issue shows they are also involved.
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May 25, 2016 04:47pm
Privatize PIA.
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May 25, 2016 05:07pm
PIA slogan ' Great people to fly with'its morale and reputation has been tarnished by few culprits in the department
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May 25, 2016 05:23pm
What makes anyone think these employees of PIA work for their salaries??They are more smugglers than employees of Pia..
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May 25, 2016 05:27pm
Syed Husain
about 3 hours ago
Let us find out who is the culprit and then punish him per the laws of the land.
Brother Syed we have a very big carpet in Pakistan under which we can sweep a Hathi (elephant) under it...so punishment will never happen..sad
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May 25, 2016 05:51pm
PIA staff should be remanded for interrogation under the NAP policy.
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May 25, 2016 05:52pm
The whole country is infested with a criminal ideology , don't be left behind make your money however you can before its all gone.
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May 25, 2016 09:03pm
i fear for the safety of the person who coughet the heroin.
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May 25, 2016 09:15pm
Our every government in civil and in miliary is criminally involved in selling our country every hour and every day ! Presence of terrorists in the country , drone atracks by Americans, drugs in the aeroplanes and genersl people living without basic necessities are some their crimes .
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May 25, 2016 11:44pm
Why to accuse crew without holding an inquiry. The report has unnecessarily mentioned flight steward penalized long time back having been apprehended on possession of mobile phones.
The present report was about narcotics discovered in maintenance hanger at karachi, nd not mobile phones.
An airplane is handled by large variety of people that includes airline personnel, passengers. Illegal activity can be performed by anybody coming into contact of aircraft.
Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that these days PIA management is overlooking on time payment of salary and different allowances to their staff.
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May 26, 2016 02:17am
By chance or intentional discovery. We, Pakistan is already carry a bad name in international community.
Each flight to overseas must be sent to maintanence under supervision of reliable officers before it leaves ground. Good job PIA crue.
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May 26, 2016 02:25am
England can catch our stewards with the smuggling material and we don't have a clue what they are carrying. How is it possible without the protection provided by the higher ups in PIA?
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May 26, 2016 04:20pm
PIA Crew is one of a few professionals in PIA. None other than Cabin Crew works hard for the betterment of airlines. It is s simple heresay that Crew is culpirit. Customs and agencies are tone blamed because of their poor intelligence. There are reports that customs are involved in such activities with ground staff who conduct routine checks of the sircrafts at maintainece hanger. Crew under goes massive checks from all entry and exit points, it absolutely impossible for s bunch of female and male crew members to carry out smuggling at such scale.They do not have resources nor will power to do it. It is a organised crime carried out by professional criminals sitting in agencies and top mafias.
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