An attempt to smuggle 17 kilograms of heroin to Saudi Arabia was foiled at Karachi airport on Wednesday when security personnel discovered the contraband hidden away in a secret compartment of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 777 aircraft.
According to PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani, the heroin was discovered inside the Boeing 777 scheduled to operate as PK-7121 by the airline's security and vigilance team during a pre-departure search. The search party also included officers from the Airport Security Force (ASF), Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), and Pakistan Customs officials.
Following the incident, PIA CEO Bernd Hildenbrand ordered an immediate inquiry. The top executive added that strict action should be taken against those responsible for the contraband.
Due to the heroin being discovered, the aircraft was not cleared for takeoff, leading to an over 11-hour delay. To facilitate passengers inconvenienced by the developments, PIA has provided hotel accommodation, and will inform of a new departure time as soon as the aircraft is cleared for flight operations.
The Boeing 777 was scheduled to operate as flight PK-7122 from Jeddah to Karachi, which has been delayed as well. Passengers booked for traveling on PK-7122 have also been given hotel accommodation in Jeddah.
There has been increased scrutiny on PIA following the crash of its ATR plane – operating as PK-661, which resulted in the death of all on board. A PIA flight from London was also postponed due to technical issues, while on Monday, a flight inbound from Jeddah left behind the passengers' luggage.
The airline faced ridicule on social media after images of an animal sacrifice next to an ATR surfaced online, insinuating it was made ahead of the takeoff to somehow ward off any misfortune. A PIA spokesperson clarified to no avail that the sacrifice was an act of gratitude by employees in their personal capacity, after the ATR successfully passed scrutiny, and was cleared for flight operations.
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