The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Friday
submitted a report to the Senate Special Committee regarding its
investigation into the heroin that was found on a PIA flight from
Islamabad to London on May 15.
British authorities had
confirmed in May that their Border Force officers had found a "quantity
of heroin" on board a PIA flight that landed at Heathrow Airport.
The
national flag carrier dismissed 13 staff members from the engineering
department, supervisors and technicians after conducting an
investigation and filing a report on the heroin found on the plane.
According
to the report, security at all airports in Pakistan has been increased
ten-folds while all non-essential personnel have been banned from
approaching any aircraft in the hanger.
All airports in Pakistan are now monitored through close-circuit television cameras, the report added.
It was also mentioned that all containers and food being transported to the plane are now thoroughly searched beforehand.
The
national carrier often comes under fire for its poor performance, low
safety standards and the unprofessional attitude of its staff.
Days
after the bust on May 15, 20kg of heroin was found hidden aboard
another London-bound PIA flight at the Benazir Bhutto International
Airport on May 23. A search by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Airport
Security Force (ASF) and PIA intelligence personnel had led to the
recovery of 10 packets of 2kg each, hidden in the plane’s tail section.
The airline has taken a firm stance against corrupt practices and recently announced that “termination from service” will now be the only punishment if any staffer of PIA is involved in smuggling contraband in or out of the country.
