Lahore airport customs officials conducted two significant operations on Friday, resulting in the seizure of millions of rupees worth of mobile phones from a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) air hostess and two passengers.
In the first operation, customs officials confiscated 30 iPhones, valued at over Rs 11.2 million, from PIA air hostess Nadia Batool, who had hidden the devices on her person and in her belongings. In a separate incident, passengers Muhammad Arshad and Fariha Amin were found with mobile phones worth Rs 5.5 million in their luggage.
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All three individuals were arrested, and a case has been registered against them.
In response to the incident, PIA has suspended the crew members of flight PK-204, which arrived from Dubai. The airline has reinforced its strict policy against employee misconduct, asserting that any employee involved in illegal activities will face severe consequences. A PIA spokesperson emphasized the airline’s zero-tolerance approach toward such actions, stating that the implicated employees will undergo strict disciplinary measures.
This incident follows a previous case where customs authorities seized over two dozen iPhones, including the newly launched iPhone 16 Pro Max, from a man arriving at Islamabad Airport. These devices, valued at over Rs. 500,000 each in Pakistan, were discovered during routine checks. Reports indicated that a passenger from Quetta had attempted to smuggle the phones with assistance from customs staff, but the plan was thwarted by other customs officials.
