Contraband seized from PIA flight attendant in Paris

ISLAMABAD: A flight attendant of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was detained in Paris, France after authorities seized contraband from his possession.

French authorities detained flight attendant Tanveer Gulzar after he was allegedly found in possession of contraband on the flagship carrier's flight PK-749 in Paris.

Following the incident, a spokesperson of the PIA confirmed that the attendant in question has been suspended from duty.

Expressing shock over how the attendant was able to carry the contraband despite security checks, the spokesperson said he was not sure whether the French authorities would penalise the attendant in their country or deport him.

The airline would dismiss the accused if charges levelled against him were proven, the spokesperson said.

He added that security checking was not the responsibility of the airline.

Such an incident is not a novelty for PIA, which is already plagued by financial woes.

In May 2017, 20 kilogrammes of contraband was seized from a London-bound flight of the national carrier. The drugs were found by the PIA's vigilance team concealed in the catering galley of PK-785.

Although the plane was cleared to fly to London, the smuggler remained unidentified.

Prior to that, heroin concealed in packets was seized from a PIA flight in an intelligence-based operation carried out by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Customs officials who investigated the discovery of narcotics, seized in London, believed the heroin was hidden in the plane while it was in Karachi.