Seizure of heroin: NA body expresses displeasure over failure of authorities

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Friday expressed displeasure over failure of the authorities to take action against criminals in relation to the seizure of 27kg of heroin powder from Pakistan International Airline (PIA) aircraft despite repeated directions.
The standing committee met here with MNA Rana Mohammad Hayat Khan in the chair. The committee decided to invite the heads of PIA, Airport Security Force, Anti-Narcotics Force and Customs officials to the next meeting to know the reasons as to why action was not taken against criminals despite a lapse of considerable time. The Customs and ANF had recovered 27kg and 3kg heroin from two different flights of PIA some months ago, but they failed to reach the culprits behind the smuggling. The committee members expressed reservations over the performance of Customs and ANF.
The Customs recovered 27kg heroin from the national flag carrier at Karachi Airport on May 23. Similarly, on November 4, 2015, a PIA flight departed from Islamabad to Dubai but was diverted to Karachi when one of the cabin crew members during a routine check found a suspicious packet lying on the floor close to dustbin in mid-zone.
According to documents presented to the committee by Aviation Division in an earlier meeting, the matter was reported to flight captain who diverted the flight to Karachi Airport and it was later revealed that the packet contained 3kg of heroin. The authorities, however, took action against some lower staff of the PIA in the 3kg heroin recovery case.
In an earlier meeting, the committee chairman had also directed the FBR chairman to constitute a joint investigation team comprising representatives of PIA, ANF and ASF headed by an official of the customs department to expedite the investigation and finalise its report within 60 days and submit it to the committee. But the joint investigation team has failed to come up with the required report and the committee, therefore, deferred the issue till its next meeting.