What Happened: A PIA air hostess was arrested for smuggling millions in foreign currency at Allama Iqbal International Airport and later granted bail.
What you need to know: On Saturday, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) air hostess was arrested at Allama Iqbal International Airport for smuggling foreign currency. Customs officials, working with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration, caught her hiding US dollars and Saudi riyals in her socks. The total value of the currency, when converted to Pakistani rupees, amounted to millions.
What more: The air hostess was offloaded, searched, and subsequently taken into custody after the currency was discovered. Deputy Collector Bilal stressed the government’s commitment to combating currency smuggling, following directives from the prime minister and FBR chairman. The incident has been reported to senior PIA officials. Earlier this year, another PIA flight attendant was detained in Toronto for carrying multiple passports.
Also: PIA has faced issues with staff disappearing during international assignments, with at least 14 crew members reported missing since January 2023. The latest case involves Noor Sher, who did not return for his scheduled flight. The arrested air hostess, who was carrying $37,318 and 40,000 Saudi riyals, was granted bail by a special customs court in Lahore on Wednesday, due to her clean criminal record and a bail bond of Rs 0.5 million.