RAWALPINDI: The scope of investigation into the May 22 attempted drug smuggling on a PIA London-bound flight from Islamabad has been enlarged with the constitution of another team, comprising Airport Security Force (ASF) officials.

On the other hand, 16 staff members of the PIA catering and security wings were called again by the investigating team already probing into the case. The staff members had already been interviewed and none of them charged.

The new team, comprising four security experts from the ASF, was formed by the director general of the ASF on Friday, a senior official told Dawn.

He said the ASF team would be working on different lines, including investigating all the over 40 individuals who were working on the PIA flight (PK-785) on May 22. In addition, the team will review the CCTV images of their movements around the aircraft.

The team will also ascertain whether or not the standard operating procedure (SOP) regarding searching of the plane and checking of the flight kitchen had been followed by the staff concerned.

Under the SOP, one individual each from the ANF and the customs department has to be in the flight kitchen to give clearance to the food items to be sent to the international flights.

“The ASF team will check all aspects of the case and will try to trace the culprits involved in the smuggling bid,” said the senior official.

In another move, the ANF deployed extra personnel at different checkpoints in the airport besides increasing checking of the PIA international flights.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2017