It would have been another embarrassing moment for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) if the pilot of a Dubai-bound flight PK-271 from Islamabad on Wednesday had not made the critical decision to land the aircraft in Karachi.

The Airport Security Force (ASF) along with Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and PIA security staff has foiled an attempt to smuggle heroin while inspecting an air craft at Allam Iqbal International Airport Lahore.

There was approximately 3kg of heroin – worth enough to buy a villa in Dubai or go on a world tour. The heroine was kept in washroom of the craft. It is worth mentioning that the craft landed back from Muscat a few hours before the recovery.

Instead of taking the flight to its destination, the captain landed the aircraft at the Karachi airport where Airport Security Force (ASF) took the bundle in its custody and sealed it.

The flight was later allowed to proceed to Dubai. No arrests were made.

The last few years have seen a rise in number of cases where PIA staffers have been found smuggling items, including drugs, cigarettes, mobile phones, illegal passports. Others were allegedly caught laundering money, both at airports in Pakistan and abroad.

Following the cases, PIA management began a crackdown against air crews and terminated contracts of the employees involved.

The officials have started investigations into the incident. Reportedly, the worth of the recovered drug amounts to millions.