The unscrupulous passengers have started using VIP lounges to misuse the 'green channel' facility at the international airports for clearance of dutiable or banned items.
Sources told Business Recorder on Thursday that the customs authorities at the Islamabad airport have recovered 15 bottles of liquor from a passenger, who tried to sneak through the VIP lounge using 'green channel'.
The passenger, who brought the liquor from Bangkok, used the VIP lounge to evade the customs authorities. Sources said the VIP lounge is no more a clearance area only restricted to the senior government officials or MNAs. Any person, who wanted to avail the VIP facility, can get his baggage cleared as 'commercially important person.'
To curb such practices, the customs have deputed an officer at the VIP lounge to check the suspected passengers at the Islamabad airport. Last month, the CBR ordered the customs authorities to randomly check certain percentage of incoming passengers to make the system more fool-proof. The board issued instructions to all the collectors of customs to be more vigilant following some instances of abuse of 'green channel' facility.
All collectors should ensure implementation of the 'green and red channels' regime. The customs staff should not in any way abdicate their duty by adopting a resigned attitude, the directive stated. Under the new instructions, the customs staff at the airports must check some passengers availing the 'green channel' based on their profile, doubt and random selection.