RAWALPINDI:
Supermodel Ayyan, recently arrested for smuggling $500,000, claimed on Thursday that she was unaware of Customs rules and regulations and the amount of foreign currency allowed for travel.
“I would follow the procedure if I knew the rules and regulations,” the supermodel told a four-member team of Customs officials who visited her in Adiala jail to record her statement.
Ayyan was arrested from Islamabad airport on March 14 for allegedly smuggling $500,000 to Dubai.
“I have traveled abroad several times but only carry $1,000 or $2,000. It was for the first time I was carrying such a big amount as I was not aware of the rules or regulations,” she told interrogators.
Ayyan said she would contest her case as she has ample proof of where she got the cash from.
“The Customs department had registered a case against the top model on account of making an attempt to smuggle money out of the country. However, it is not a case of money laundering,” a Customs official told The Express Tribune.
“It cannot be termed a money laundering case. There is difference between money laundering and smuggling,” he added.
The official said that the special court for Customs, Taxation and Anti-Smuggling would decide the case in light of substantial evidence that would be produced before the court.
However, another Customs official requesting anonymity said Ayyan claimed ownership of the money.
“She claimed she has been working as actress and model for the last 15 years and the money belongs to her,” the official added.
Ayyan’s lawyer, Khurram Latif Khosa, could not be reached for comments.
Defense lawyers will reportedly provide evidence to the court to prove where the money came from.
