Karachi: Pakistan customs authorities yesterday recovered 27 kilograms of heroin from the toilets of an aircraft of the national flag carrier, which was in a hangar at the Karachi airport.

Chief collector Zahid Aslam told a press conference the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight had flown to Jeddah from Islamabad on May 21 and came back to Lahore.

The heroin, which was hidden in secret chambers inside the plane’s toilet, apparently could not be offloaded in Jeddah.

Customs officials came to know about the presence of heroin when the flight flew to Karachi last night and was at the Isphanai hangar.

The customs official said it seemed the heroin was hidden on the plane at Islamabad airport and they were scanning the CCTV footage to establish the facts.

A PIA spokesman said an investigation has been launched. He said the night shift staff of the airline was being interrogated.