A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) air hostess was caught red-handed by Customs officials for attempting to smuggle foreign currency at Allama Iqbal International Airport.
She was offloaded after suspicion and Customs officials recovered 140,000 Saudi riyals ($37,000) concealed in her socks. The air hostess was found with US dollars and Saudi riyals, amounting to millions of Pakistani rupees. She hid the currencies in various parts of her body.
The incident took place when the air hostess was scheduled to fly from Lahore to Jeddah on a PIA flight. Suspicious customs officials, in collaboration with FIA immigration, offloaded her from the flight.
Upon conducting a thorough search, they discovered the riyals and US dollars. After a case was registered, she was handed over to the investigation team. Deputy Collector Customs said strict measures are being implemented to prevent currency smuggling, including zero-tolerance and 100 per cent checking protocols.
According to local media, intelligence reports regarding the smuggling of Saudi riyals prompted a thorough check of the national airline’s crew, reaffirming the authorities’ commitment to preventing such incidents and ensuring the public’s safety.