Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-788 inbound from London Heathrow to Karachi was delayed for two hours after British Custom Intelligence detained five crew members of PIA on charges of smuggling and money laundering.
The 14-member crew was stopped and its entire luggage was checked. The crew except for five air hostesses and stewards were allowed to operate the flight. According to sources cabin crew members were found with cash in excess of permitted legal carry allowance along with several unsecured mobile phones.
According to the PIA spokesperson Aamir Memon “They will be coming back on a flight to Lahore tomorrow (Tuesday)”. He also maintained that nothing out of ordinary was found in their baggage and that they were all allowed to leave after questioning.
A rising trend has been witnessed in smuggling by PIA crew. Just recently, Shaukat Ali Cheema a senior PIA steward was jailed for five years in Birmingham for trying to smuggle fake passports and driving licenses.
