Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A Special Vigilance Team (SVT) on Monday seized 20 kilogrammes of heroin from a flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) bound for London. “Further investigation is underway,” a press release issued by the PIA said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan immediately ordered an inquiry into the matter with the direction that those behind this incident should be brought to justice.

Additional Inspector General of Police Hussain Asghar has been appointed the head of the enquiry team with a mandate to unearth the entire network of smuggling mafia involved in such acts. PIA has already directed officials to check smuggling of narcotics through a newly formed Central Operational Committee (COC).

In the light of the directions by newly formed COC, PIA had been carrying out physical search of almost all the flights operating on the international routes. On Monday the SVT comprising officials of Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) and Security Staff of PIA, carried out physical search of Flight PK-785 bound for London and recovered 20 kgs of heroin. Subsequent thorough search of the aircraft – the flight was cleared to take off from Benazir Bhutto airport for London. The flight was delayed by two hours.