Foreign Currency Worth Millions Captured at Islamabad Airport

Customs officials at Islamabad Airport have foiled an attempt to smuggle foreign currency worth $46,000 to Kuwait. Sources said that Customs staff posted at Islamabad Airport during clearance of the outbound flight from Islamabad to Muscat intercepted a resident of Rawalpindi at the joint Scanner machine. The passenger was inquired about the scanned image of the luggage. it was disclosed that the passenger was carrying foreign currency to the tune of $46,000 equivalent to Rs. 12.8 million. The passenger was asked to produce a legal document as the currency was above the prescribed limits of $5,000. He was neither able to produce any lawful documentary evidence nor offer any admissible justification for carrying such a big volume of foreign currency. Hence the same was detailed for what documentary evidence/SBP authorization if any. Since the passenger could not produce any documentary evidence, the detention was converted into seizure after approval of competent authority and the recovered currency was seized under section 168 of the Customs Act 1969 for violation of provisions of section 2(s), 16, and 139 of the Customs Act 1969.