Pakistan Customs Collectorate has seized 51 iPhones from the possession of returning Umrah pilgrims at the Karachi Airport.
Officials have revealed that smugglers are now using Umrah pilgrims after the authorities introduced strict anti-smuggling measures.
These passengers are offered cheap tickets and cash in return for illegally bringing millions of rupees worth of mobile phones to the country. As the Umrah pilgrims are cleared easily by the airport officials, smugglers have started using them for their illegal activities.
Recently, customs officials suspected a group of passengers including women and children, and decided to search them. The officials recovered empty boxes of phones from their luggage.
When they failed to give satisfactory answers, the officials decided to search their clothes and recovered 51 iPhones.
It included 14 units of iPhone 11 and iPhone 12, 12 units of iPhone 14, and 25 units of iPhone 15. The total value of these iPhones, along with taxes, was estimated to be Rs. 27.4 million.
Airport Collector Customs Shafiq Ahmed Latki has advised passengers against carrying anyone else’s possessions, particularly mobile phones, upon their return to Pakistan. He also warned of legal consequences if anyone is found involved in such activities.
Source: Pro Pakistani