KARACHI— The Special Court for Customs, Taxation & Anti-Smuggling has sentenced Canadian national Raheel Dhannani to a total of eight years in prison after convicting him on two counts of attempting to smuggle undeclared foreign currency out of Pakistan.
Special Judge Dr. Shaban Waheed handed down separate sentences of five years and three years under the Customs Act, 1969. The court ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven beyond reasonable doubt that the accused deliberately tried to export foreign currency well above the legal limit set by the State Bank of Pakistan.
A Karachi customs court has handed an eight-year prison sentence to a Canadian passport holder after finding the individual guilty on two counts related to the attempted illegal transfer of foreign currency out of Pakistan. #DialoguePakistan #Karachi #Customs #Court #Sentence pic.twitter.com/kyvgxuxtMI
— Dialogue Pakistan (@DialoguePak) July 25, 2026
Interception and Confiscated Funds
The incident occurred on January 24, 2023, when Dhannani, travelling on a Canadian passport with his family, was preparing to fly from Jinnah International Airport in Karachi to Vancouver via Bangkok.
State Prosecutor Naimatullah Soomro told the court that customs officials stopped Dhannani in the international departure area and asked if he was carrying any reportable foreign currency. After he verbally denied having excess funds, a search of his luggage revealed large amounts of cash hidden inside his bags:
- US Dollars Recovered: $111,400
- Canadian Dollars Recovered: CAD 31,425
Defense Arguments vs. Judicial Findings
During the trial, the defence challenged the prosecution’s case on procedural grounds, claiming that no written declaration form was given, no CCTV footage was presented as evidence, and no independent private witnesses were present during the search. Lawyers also argued that Dhannani was intercepted before completing final departure formalities and had not yet reached the point of no return.
| Defense Contention | Court Finding & Judicial Ruling |
|---|---|
| No formal written declaration or refusal | Accused entered the international departure area and verbally denied carrying excess cash when directly questioned. |
| Intercepted prior to final departure stage | Entering the international departure stream while carrying illegal currency constitutes an actual attempt, not mere preparation. |
| Absence of intent or bona fide oversight | As an experienced traveller, the accused was well aware of customs rules; the volume of cash rules out any claim of oversight. |
In his detailed judgment, Judge Waheed observed that the overall circumstances left no room for the possibility of an honest mistake, clearly establishing a deliberate attempt to smuggle currency in violation of the Customs Act.
