Islamabad International Airport has seen two major narcotics seizures in just nine days, with Customs officials recovering suspected drugs worth nearly Rs. 1 billion in the two cases.
In the latest operation, Customs officials recovered around 24 kilograms of suspected cannabis from a foreign passenger arriving at the airport. The seized material was estimated to have a high-end retail value of approximately Rs. 310 million.
Sources said Customs received information about a possible attempt to bring narcotics into the country through an international flight. A special team was deployed under an Assistant Collector and intercepted a foreign passenger reportedly arriving from Thailand.
Officials searched the passenger under legal procedures and recovered the suspected cannabis. The material was taken into Customs custody, while an FIR was registered against the accused under the relevant laws.
The latest recovery follows another major seizure at the airport on September 26.
In that case, Customs officials recovered approximately 35 kilograms of suspected hashish from the luggage of a passenger arriving on Thai Airways flight TG-349. The material was estimated to be worth more than Rs. 660 million.
The combined estimated value of the two airport seizures is therefore around Rs. 970 million.
Rs. 5.41 Billion Haul on M-2
The recent airport seizures came as Customs also made a massive narcotics recovery on the M-2 Motorway.
On October 2, Islamabad Customs intercepted a vehicle during an intelligence-based operation and recovered approximately 1,200 kilograms of suspected charas or hashish.
Officials also seized around 100 kilograms of poppy seeds. The international market value of the narcotics was estimated at Rs. 5.40 billion, while the total value including the vehicle and other items was placed at around Rs. 5.41 billion.
The two airport cases and the M-2 operation together involve approximately 1,259 kilograms of suspected cannabis or hashish-related material.
Customs has described the substances recovered at the airport as suspected narcotics. Their exact composition and evidentiary status will be determined through forensic testing and the legal process.
