The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) officials have started searching the baggage of the incoming passengers at the Islamabad airport a week after the Prime Minister's announcement of activating 'green channel' facility for the international flights.
Some customs officials confirmed to this correspondent that passengers passing through the green channel have to undergo undue checking by the ANF officials.
On the other hand, senior ANF officials said that the checking of baggage of incoming passengers has nothing to do with the 'green channel' facility, as suspected passengers were being checked for the last six months on the instructions of the Ministry of Interior.
Elaborating further, the ANF officials told Business Recorder that the baggage of only suspected passengers coming from China, Europe and South America was checked on suspicion of cocaine and ecstasy stimulus smuggling through incoming flights from European countries.
The checking of around 10-20 percent suspected passengers is done to check smuggling of these psychotropic drugs, ANF officials added. Meanwhile, sources said that the customs officials have established facilitation desks at all the international airports and started 'green channel' facility for both the incoming and out going passengers following CBR directive. No checking was done of incoming passengers passing through the 'green channel'.
However, for the last few days, the ANF officials have started checking the incoming passengers after their clearance through 'green channel' at the exit gates of the international arrivals of the airports.
According to sources, the luggage of around 50 percent of the incoming passenger has been checked by the customs. The agency has not established any permanent desk or prominently displayed their identify, but officials with ANF badges check the passengers coming from China, Europe except Saudi Arabia.
Sources were surprised that who has given the authority to ANF to check the incoming passengers baggage. The role of the agency to check smuggling of narcotics at the international departure at the airports is understandable, but why they are checking the baggage at the arrival halls.
Sources said that the elimination of the customs clearance process has not facilitated the passengers, as they have to go through the same agony at the hands of ANF officials at the Islamabad airport.
Some of the incoming passengers still think that the ANF officials are actually customs staff searching the incoming passengers, sources added.
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