Customs officials at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi have seized over AED 100,000 from two passengers, Muntazir Mehdi and Mohammad Kashif, who were attempting to smuggle the cash out of Pakistan on a flight to Dubai, violating currency regulations, ARY News reported.
The passengers were preparing to board a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Dubai when customs authorities recovered the money during routine checks.
They were found carrying over AED 100,000 in cash, which they claimed was meant to buy video equipment. However, customs officials seized the money and started legal action against them for violating currency regulations, as per the customs officials, as per ARY News.
This operation underscores the heightened vigilance at Karachi Airport to prevent illegal money transfers and smuggling activities.
Earlier, the customs officials thwarted a money laundering attempt at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi and arrested a passenger.
As per the customs spokesperson, on the basis of suspicion, the staff stopped a passenger bound to board an international flight from Karachi airport to Doha.
During the deep inspection of the luggage, the customs officials recovered a total of USD 20,000 in cash.
After confiscating the currency, the officials registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the Doha-bound passenger.
Meanwhile, the passenger is currently under investigation to identify the real culprits behind the money laundering attempt.
* With inputs from agencies
