The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Tuesday claimed to bust a drug smuggling ring and recovered 265 kilograms of drugs in six separate operations across the country. In one of the operations, the ANF raided the Islamabad International Airport and recovered 60 ice-filled capsules from the possession of a Qatar-bound passenger. The passenger, a resident of Azad Kashmir, was going on flight no QR-633. On the provided information by the accused, the ANF also arrested a facilitator along with a vehicle near Bahria Town Rawalpindi. 624 grams of heroin were recovered from the accused, who is also a resident of Azad Kashmir. In another operation at the Islamabad International Airport, the ANF recovered narcotics from the possession of a Riyadh-bound passenger, a resident of Upper Dir, who was going on flight no PK-753.

 In a third operation, the ANF intercepted a vehicle near Kot Abdul Malik Motorway Toll Plaza Sheikhupura and recovered 91.2 kilograms of hashish and 73.2 kilograms of opium. The accused, a resident of Islamabad, was also arrested during the operation. In a fourth operation, the ANF recovered 78 kilograms of heroin from the secret cavities of a vehicle near Pabi-Nowshera Road. The accused, a resident of Sialkot, was trying to smuggle the heroin from Peshawar to Punjab. In a fifth operation, the ANF recovered 15 kilograms of hashish from a deserted area of Khyber.

 In a sixth operation, the ANF arrested a man, a resident of Sargodha, and recovered 700 grams of weed from his possession.The ANF has registered separate cases against all the accused and further investigations are underway. The ANF's success in these operations is a major blow to the drug trafficking networks operating in Pakistan. It is a clear message to the drug smugglers that the ANF will not tolerate their activities and will continue to take them on.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)