ISLAMABAD, MARCH 06 (DNA)  : Amid coronavirus concerns, the customs authorities on Friday thwarted a bid to smuggle a huge quantity of face masks out of the country at the Islamabad International Airport.

According to customs officials, at least 10 bags full of face masks were seized from the possession of three passengers.

One of the three flyers, named Asif Mahmood was to board a Bangkok-bound flight, while the rest, Tauqeer Ahmed and Mushtaq Ahmed were to fly to Doha.

The customs officials took the masks into custody and launched an investigation against them.

This is a second face mask smuggling bid in less than 24 hours.

Yesterday, the Airport Security Force (ASF) had foiled a bid to smuggle a huge quantity of surgical masks at the Islamabad International Airport on Thursday

The security forces recovered masks hidden inside a passenger’s luggage at the airport.

Sources said that the passenger, Abdul Ahad was to fly to Bangkok via a foreign airlines flight TG-350.

It is pertinent to mention here that the government of Pakistan has banned the export of respiratory masks amid coronavirus outbreak that has claimed more than 3,000 lives and infected thousands in different countries.