Key Takeaways
- A police task force seized 50kg of crystal meth worth Rs900m in Karachi.
- Suspects included an Afghan-origin doctor and a police constable.
- The drugs were destined for export to the Philippines.
A police task force in Karachi, in collaboration with a federal civilian intelligence agency, carried out a successful raid on a warehouse in Mehran Town, Korangi, on Tuesday, arresting eight members of an alleged international narcotics network and seizing 50kg of crystal meth, estimated to be worth Rs900 million.
West Deputy Inspector General of Police Irfan Ali Baloch, speaking at a press conference, revealed that the suspects were allegedly operating an international network, transporting drugs from Pakistan to Thailand and Malaysia in bulk quantities.
The police had recovered 50kg of ice, estimated to be worth Rs900 million, and shared details of the trafficking routes and the network’s linkages, indicating that the present consignment was destined for the Philippines from Karachi, with overseas handlers in South Africa and Thailand.
According to DIG Baloch, the network had established links in Karachi, while the ice was sourced from Chaman in Balochistan and hawala transactions were routed through Lahore.
The roles of the eight suspects were detailed, with Nazir Soomro identified as the principal accused who directed the procurement, concealment, and export of the consignment. Shahid Mastoi arranged and maintained the Mehran Town warehouse used to conceal the narcotics, while Sheikh Khalid provided storage for the drugs and facilitated banking channels for local transactions.
Dr Noor Ahmed Khilji and Garan Khan, both of Afghan origin and holders of Pakistani CNICs, arranged the supply from Balochistan. Abdullah alias Wahab worked as a courier, while Mohammed Kamran, also a courier, was a police constable posted in Malir. Nasir worked as an intermediary and distributor, facilitating transactions involving Dr Noor.
The police recovered a car, two pistols, and Rs350,000 from the suspects. The ice was procured locally at Rs220,000 per kilogram and contracted for export at $6,000 per kilogram, against an estimated destination-market price of $100,000 to $120,000 per kilogram.
Of the 200kg to 250kg contracted for export, the remaining quantity had not been delivered, with the full consignment having an estimated destination-market value of $25 million to $30m (Rs6bn to Rs8bn).
