A male crew member of the national aircraft carrier PIA was found with 16 new mobile phones strapped to his body on a flight from Canada to Islamabad.
Geo News reports that the PIA employee had 16 brand new expensive mobile phones wrapped around his body for which he was detained by customs officers at Islamabad Airport.
The matter was initially kept secret for several days but has now been revealed in a showcause notice released by the Pakistan International Airlines.
Express Tribune reports that the senior flight steward was identified as Faisal Majeed Pehnwar. He is now suspended for smuggling mobile phones from Canada.
The notice addressed the suspended employee, “Upon your arrival at the [Karachi] airport, 16 mobile phones were discovered concealed on your body. This behaviour constitutes a violation of the employee disciplinary policy, leading to your immediate suspension from duty.”
The show cause notice states that the PIA flight attendant arrived in Islamabad in flight PK 782 from Toronto, Canada on October 24.
While leaving the airport, the customs officials became suspicious of Faisal’s behaviour and upon checking, they found 16 expensive mobile phones wrapped around his body under his clothes, which were later confiscated and the employee was detained by airport police.
The PIA issued a show cause notice to the employee and directed him to respond within three days.
The airline in their statement also emphasised that any misuse of company privileges and involvement in smuggling activities would not be tolerated.
Earlier, a video of a Pakistani air hostess being detained by police while trying to smuggle a huge amount of cash hidden in her socks has emerged online.
Experts cite low pay and a lack of job security within the national airline as the primary reasons behind these alleged instances of slippage and smuggling, but above all, it tarnishes the image of the country on an international level.
Read more: Why do PIA flight crew members go missing in Canada?
