Force hands over suspect along with the seized gold to Pakistan Customs for further legal action
LAHORE:
The Airport Security Force (ASF) seized a large quantity of gold from a passenger bound for Dubai during a search at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport on Monday.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, an ASF official said the passenger, identified as Shahzad Ahmed, was intercepted during routine screening. During a physical search, officials recovered 18 gold bars concealed in the passenger’s socks. The seized gold weighed more than two kilogrammes, the official added.
Following the recovery, the ASF handed over the suspect along with the seized gold to Pakistan Customs for further legal action. Customs officials formally seized the gold and initiated proceedings against the suspect.
The seizure at Lahore follows other major interceptions of precious metals at Pakistani airports.
Read: Gold, silver worth Rs880m seized at Islamabad airport
At Islamabad International Airport early last month, Customs officials recovered around 20 kilogrammes each of gold and silver concealed in the luggage of two passengers arriving from Dubai. The contraband was estimated to be worth more than Rs880 million.
The seized items were detected using advanced scanning machines in the international arrivals lounge, with subsequent inspections confirming their concealment in hidden compartments.
These incidents underscore ongoing efforts by customs and security agencies at international airports to curb the smuggling of high-value metals and enforce import and export regulations.
