More PIA staff face suspension over alleged smartphone smuggling as 78 devices are seized during a Customs check at Multan International Airport.
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| Smartphone smuggling scandal deepens at PIA with five more crew suspended after Customs discovers 78 phones on flight PK-222 from Dubai to Multan. Symbolic Image: ChicHue |
Islamabad, Pakistan — January 25, 2025:
Just a day after two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight attendants were dismissed for allegedly smuggling cell phones, five more employees have been suspended following the recovery of 78 smartphones from flight PK-222, which arrived in Multan from Dubai.
The Customs authorities seized the phones during a routine check at Multan International Airport, subsequently booking the five employees under the Customs Act, 1969. However, the value of the confiscated devices was not disclosed in the case.
Among those suspended were two stewardesses, with the PIA management issuing show-cause notices to all five crew members. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that departmental action had been initiated and warned that the strictest penalties would follow in the event of a conviction.
The spokesperson emphasized PIA’s zero-tolerance policy toward unethical conduct by its staff, adding that the suspended crew had been allowed to leave the airport after the seizure, with legal proceedings set to follow.
Sources revealed that Customs officials, acting on intelligence, initially recovered 24 smartphones from two stewardesses. Further investigations led to the recovery of an additional 54 devices from a senior purser and two flight stewards, who were recalled from their hotel.
The PIA administration has demanded written explanations from the accused within three days. Failure to respond will be taken as an admission of guilt, paving the way for disciplinary action as per PIA’s rules.