20 kilogrammes of heroin were recovered from a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight at Islamabad Airport on May 22, DawnNews reported.

Flight PK785 was destined to depart for London from Benazir Bhutto International Airport when it was searched in a scheduled inspection.

Speaking to Dawn.com, PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar confirmed that contraband was recovered from the flight.

Tajwar said four planes were scheduled to be searched today, out of which the flight bound for London was one. The search operation was led by the Anti-Narcotics Force and PIA's security team.

After a thorough search of the plane, the flight was allowed to resume after a delay of more than two hours, the spokesperson said.

The prime minister's adviser on aviation, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan, ordered an inquiry into the matter and insisted that those responsible be dealt with according to the law.

A week ago, British officials said they had found a "quantity of heroin" on the same flight in London after it landed at Heathrow Airport.

The authorities said British National Crime Agency officials were investigating the case.

"No arrests have been made, enquiries are ongoing,” an official associated with the agency had told Dawn.com in an emailed response.