13 PIA staff arrested for 'trying' to smuggle heroin

Lahore: Pakistani authorities on Monday arrested 13 employees of its national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) here for allegedly trying to smuggle 6 kgs of heroin worth over 60 million rupees to Dubai. PIA flight PK-203 was ready to leave for Dubai on Saturday from the airport here when the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) staff got it vacated on information that a huge quantity of heroin had been concealed in the aircraft, officials said. After a thorough search of a couple of hours, the ANF team seized 6 kg of heroin worth over Rs 60 million from the toilet of the aircraft, they said. Thirteen PIA employees were arrested by the ANF and a thorough probe was launched into the matter. PIA spokesman Daniyal Gilani confirmed the arrests saying some of the airline employees have been taken into custody in connection with the failed bid to smuggle heroin. After investigation, if these employees are found guilty, strict action will be taken against them, he said. During the last few years, there has been a rapid rise in the number of cases in which the PIA employees were caught red-handed while smuggling different items like drugs, cigarettes, mobile phones, illegal passports and laundered money abroad. In some cases, the PIA employees were caught at Pakistani airports and in others; they were intercepted and arrested in other countries, mostly in the European destinations.