Pakistan Customs has seized 2,547 cell phones being smuggled from Hong Kong to Karachi. An information was received through Chief Collector of Customs (South), Custom House, Karachi that an attempt would be made to clear mobile phones without payment of duty through freight gate of Karachi Airport arriving on Cathay Pacific Airline on the Intervening night of 20 & 21st January, 2010.
According to the information, the mobile phones would be brought through courier service namely "Speedy Post". In pursuance of information, rummaging Staff was deployed at Tarmac under the supervision of Deputy Collector/JIAP and Assistant Collector, ICG. On arrival of the flight, whole cargo was scanned and during the scanning it was found that there were 9 cartons containing mobile phones.
On checking, it was found that out of nine cartons, seven were for Rawalpindi and Islamabad and two for Karachi. They were booked by Speedy Post with declaration as accessories on the documents. Since the documents contained incorrect description, they were opened and examined.
On examination, it was found that there were 2547 mobile phones. Since they had been brought illegally, they have been seized under the Customs Act, 1969. The matter is further being investigated; particularly role of the courier service in this regard.