Pakistan Customs officials foil attempt to smuggle PKR 1.5 crore in gold and cash

Customs officials made a significant seizure of gold and cash at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Tuesday. 

Acting on a tip-off, the officials intercepted a passenger scheduled to depart for Hong Kong on Thai Airways flight TG-342, suspected of carrying a substantial amount of undeclared valuables.

Following the tip-off, Customs personnel conducted a thorough search of the passenger’s belongings, uncovering over $40,000 (PKR 11 million) in assorted foreign currencies, along with 21 tolas of gold coins and jewelry. 

The combined value of the confiscated items is estimated to be approximately $56,000 (PKR 15 million).

The detained passenger failed to declare the cash and gold, a requirement for amounts exceeding $10,000 (PKR 2.78 million), when leaving Pakistan, leading to allegations of money laundering and smuggling. An FIR has been filed, and the investigation is ongoing.