A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) air hostess was apprehended at Allama Iqbal International Airport on Saturday for attempting to smuggle a significant amount of foreign currency.

Customs officials, working in conjunction with Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration, discovered US dollars and Saudi riyals hidden in the air hostess’s socks. The total value of the recovered currency, estimated to be in the millions of Pakistani rupees, was concealed during a PIA flight from Lahore to Jeddah.

Deputy Collector Customs Raja Bilal revealed that $37,318 and 40,000 Saudi riyals were seized from the air hostess. Suspicions arose during the flight, prompting her to be offloaded and searched, leading to the discovery of the hidden currency.

Following the incident, the air hostess was handed over to an investigation team after a case was registered against her.

Deputy Collector Bilal emphasized the government’s commitment to curbing currency smuggling, citing directives from the Prime Minister and FBR Chairman. PIA senior officials have been informed of the incident.

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This incident comes on the heels of another concerning event in March where a PIA flight attendant was detained at Toronto airport for possessing multiple passports. The latest case, along with the recent disappearance of a crew member from a flight to Toronto, highlights a growing issue of staff disappearing during overseas assignments.

Since January 2023, at least 14 PIA crew members, both male and female, have gone missing while on international assignments. This includes the disappearance of Noor Sher, a flight attendant assigned to flight PK 781 from Pakistan to Toronto, who failed to report for his return flight this week.