RAWALPINDI:
Customs officials on Saturday recovered gold and silver worth over Rs 880 million from two passengers arriving from Dubai at the Islamabad International Airport.
The suspects were intercepted using scanners installed in the international arrivals hall.
According to airport sources, Flight No. 785 of a private airline arrived in Islamabad from Dubai at 9 am the day before. Finding two suspicious passengers, customs officers decided to check their luggage using modern scanners installed in the international lounge. Scans indicated the presence of gold and silver hidden inside the bags.
Upon inspection, a large quantity of gold and silver was recovered, totaling 20 kilograms of gold and 20 kilograms of silver. From the luggage of a passenger, identified as Abdul Rehman, authorities recovered 14 kilograms of gold, 14 kilograms of silver and high-end mobile phones. From the luggage of the second passenger, Bilal Ashraf, 6 kilograms of gold and 6 kilograms of silver were seized.
Sources said the gold and silver bars were hidden in secret compartments inside the luggage. As per current market rates, the value of the recovered gold is estimated at Rs870 million, while the silver is valued at around Rs13.4 million, bringing the total value of the seized items to over Rs880 million.
The two passengers, along with the recovered contraband items, were transferred to G-9 Customs Cell, Islamabad, where further interrogation and verification are underway. Legal proceedings will be initiated following the investigation.
