Pakistan Customs has foiled another major smuggling attempt at the Islamabad International Airport (IIA) on Thursday. The officials were able to recover gadgets worth over Rs. 50 million from the smugglers.
There were three passengers onboard that were trying to smuggle these items. The flight landed at the Islamabad Airport in a Pakistan International Airline (PIA) plane that arrived from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Customs Assistant Collector Beenish Rasheed and her team took action immediately as soon as they became suspicious.
Customs told the media that they recovered more than 100 iPhone 14 models, MacBooks, and other gadgets from the passengers. According to the exact numbers, there were 106 iPhones, 12 MacBooks, and 37 other laptops. Other than that, the smugglers were also carrying Apple Watches, AirPods, and iPads.
As mentioned earlier, all the items have been seized and an investigation is underway.
A similar smuggling attempt was foiled earlier this week by Pakistan Customs at the Islamabad International Airport. The staff received a tip about a smuggling attempt while checking foreign passengers. They intensified the screening process for passengers as a result, they were able to detain a smuggler coming from Qatar.
This passenger was carrying more than 73 smartphones worth over Rs. 10 million, a spokesperson told the media. A case was registered against the smuggler once he failed to produce tax details for the customs staff.
Most probably same officers sell them in market. There are many more coming with the help of counter setting. Even with ban on import of phone, iPhone 14 is available in market and PTA involved by approving these devices.
across Pakistan iphone 14 is been sold and all are non custom paid and without any taxation. its all smuggled entirely. every singal official is involved in this mobile carrying and smuggling bucz without there envelopment not a singal ip 14 can into Pakistan….. this news is just a publicity stunt
Smugglers are active when legitimate businesses are hard hit through various unnecessary curbs. Smugglers cannot move even a kilo of package without a nod from the insiders.
Very strange, customs is capable to track smugglers but not money launderettes who smuggle billions of Pakistani cash to foreign country
Smuggled or not. When PTA cleared device cannot be used in Pakistan, then what is the point in confiscating the phones at the points of entry into Pakistan. This amounts to high handedness on part of customs and allow them to make money. Allow everyone and anyone to bring in any number of cell phones, the taxes will be deducted when, the device is hooked on to the system for the first time