A kilogramme of fine quality heroin concealed in confectionary items like lollipops and wafer chocolates was seized by customs authorities at the Karachi airport on Thursday.
The Pakistan Customs Drug Enforcement Cell (DEC), Karachi Airport Unit recovered the contraband items from the baggage of a passenger leaving for Uganda via Dubai in an Emirates airline flight at the Jinnah International Airport.
Customs Chief Media Liaison Officer Qamar Thalho said that the DEC staff while clearing the baggage of outgoing passengers at the International Departure Hall intercepted a Pakistani passenger named Muhammad Asad with a huge consignment of commercial goods including cosmetics, confectionary items and readymade garments. According to the passenger’s travelling documents, he was going to Entebbe, Uganda via Dubai, United Arab Emirates by flight EK-605 of Emirates Airlines.
“Uganda being a high-risk destination required a thorough baggage examination from an anti-narcotics point of view,” stated the customs officer.
A scrutiny of the passenger’s baggage led to the recovery of fine quality heroin (diacetylmorphine), which had been finely concealed in lollipop candies and chocolate bars mixed among other items.
On the recovery and seizure of contraband narcotics, the accused passenger was arrested and a prosecution case under Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 1997 registered against him.
The customs officer said that efforts were being made to identify and trace the exact persons involved in the offence and further investigations are in progress.
Due to the extraordinary rush of outgoing passengers with huge numbers of pilgrims leaving for Hajj to Saudi Arabia, the chances of drug trafficking have increased manifolds as conditions are vulnerable to exploitation by drug traffickers.