KARACHI: Customs staff at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi foiled a bid to smuggle foreign exchange and recovered the currency.

Additional Collector Sanaullah Abro has advised Deputy Collector Departure Wasif Malik and the staff to keep strict vigilance so that to thwart any attempt of smuggling foreign exchange.

The Customs staff at Jinnah International Airport spotted a person later identified as Samilullah Shaikh who was travelling to Dubai via Fly Dubai flight. On examination, foreign currency equivalent to US Dollar 23,650 was recovered from his possession. The passenger has been treated and FIR has been lodged accordingly.

Smuggling of foreign currencies, particularly the dollar, has led to a short supply of the greenback in the open market.

Many reasons are being cited for the sudden rise in the open-market exchange rate. Some influential currency dealers believe that Dubai-based magnates are pulling dollars out of Pakistan. Currency smuggling was rampant a few years back, which put Pakistan at the top of the list of investors who stashed away their wealth in Dubai properties.