KARACHI: With the slow pace of investigation into the mega smuggling bid by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft in the recent past, the Pakistan Customs and Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) will jointly probe the issue to take those responsible to task, it is learnt.
According to sources, the ANF authorities approached the Ministry of Interior (MoI) for the permission to probe the matter, however the customs authorities objected to the proposal.
The issue was also taken up before the National Assembly’s standing committee that instructed the Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Nisar Muhammad Khan to form a joint investigation team to be headed by a BS-19 officer of the customs, sources added.
In this regard, a joint probe committee headed by Additional Collector, Model Customs Collectorate Preventive Feroz Alam Junejo, General Manager PIA Major (retd) Nadeem, Assistant Director, Airport Security Force Syed Waheed Shah and a colonel-rank officer from the ANF, has been constituted for probe into the matter and was told to submit report at the earliest.
The sources disclosed that the customs authorities had also interrogated senior PIA management in Islamabad with regard to the recovery of heroin powder from the lavatory of a PIA aircraft flying from Islamabad to Dubai.
The customs recovered around 29 kilograms of heroin powder from PIA aircraft valuing Rs 290 million. The PIA air craft bearing registration number AP-BGK-777 was parked at Bay-2 inside Isphahani Hanger.
The aircraft was deployed as PK-744 on 21-5-2016 for Islamabad-Jeddah sector, then PK-760 on 22-5-2016 for Jeddah-Lahore and finally PK-305 from Lahore to Karachi sectors on the same day. After landing at Karachi airport, the said aircraft was parked in the above mentioned hanger for maintenance.
In yet another action, the customs recovered 700 grams of brown heroin powder concealed adjacent to the commode of aircraft lavatory.
It is mentioned here that three employees, including Sheikh Mohammad Akmal, Asad Jamil of PIA and Mohammad Sohail, an engineering helper, were sacked by the management of PIA on the basis of possible involvement in the scam.
When contacted, Additional Collector, MCC Preventive, Feroz Alam Junejo told Daily Times that a joint committee has started investigation on all angles and it is supposed to submit final report within a month.