ISLAMABAD: Customs officials at Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Saturday detained Pakistani supermodel Ayyan for attempting to carry US $500,000 abroad. The amount was hidden in her luggage.

Ayyan, 21, was reportedly booked to travel on a flight to Dubai this morning. Customs officials recovered US $500,000 from her luggage before she could board the plane.

The attempt falls under money laundering as customs regulations do not permit travelling with such a large, undeclared amount.

Customs authorities registered a case of money laundering against her and investigation into the incident has started.

Ayyan will be held at Adiala jail pending investigation and a bail plea.

Model, singer, multi-millionaire?

Super model Ayyan has been one of the most widely recognised faces in Pakistan's modelling industry, although in recent years her career has shifted towards producing music.

• Major claim to fame: being Ufone and Magnum’s brand ambassador.

• At the Lux Style Awards (LSA) in 2011 she was one of the nominees for Best Model (Female) along with Rabia Butt, Mehreen Syed, Nooray Bhatti and Cybil Chowdhry. She was nominated a number of times in future LSAs as well.

• Ayyan also did a campaign for Sunsilk which famously featured her in a hijab.

• In 2014 Ayyan tried her hand at singing, releasing a song titled ‘You and I.’ The song wasn’t exactly a hit, and the follow-up album was similarly forgettable.