Sacked cop held for selling narcotics in Defence, Clifton

Shafqat Zardad Khan was among six drug peddlers and muggers arrested by Rangers in raids

Karachi 

A sacked police official who sold heroin under the code name of “Ice Baby Powder” was among six alleged drug peddlers and street criminals arrested by paramilitary soldiers in two posh neighbourhoods of the city on Thursday.

The arrests of Shafqat Zardat Khan and five other suspects were made in intelligence-based raids conducted in Defence and Clifton localities, said the spokesman for the Sindh Rangers. 

The other suspects were identified as Imran alias Jumma Afghani, Jehanzeb, Mohammed Saqib alias Sanki, Kamran Afghani and Sohail alias Shahjee. Weapons were said to have been found on them as well. 

Shafqat Zardad Khan, a police official dismissed over a patchy record, was involved in street crime and drug peddling in Defence, the spokesman said, adding that Khan was the biggest supplier of a lethal drug code-named as “Ice Baby Powder”, which he used to sell among youngsters residing in posh localities.

Imran alias Jumma Afghani, a resident of Azam Basti, was the alleged leader of a muggers’ gang which used to operate in Defence, Clifton, Korangi Road and the adjoining areas. He was said to have been the terror of Azam Basti and the adjoining slum areas.

Another suspect, Jahanzeb, a resident of Defence, had been looting cash, mobile phones and other valuables from people in Defence and Clifton for a long time.

Mohammad Saqib, wanted to police in a number of criminal cases, is popularly known as Saanki in both areas for motorcycle racing and wheelie. He used to organise motorcycle races at Sea View and on the Super Highway. He also used to hire youngsters who were good at motorcycle-racing and doing wheelies for his races but would later recruit them to work for his criminal gang. He used them for committing street crime and target killings, besides providing their services to other target killing groups. 

The Rangers spokesman said that the two other arrested suspects, Kamran Afghani and Sohail alias Shahjee, were working for Saanki’s gang and used to commit crimes in DHA Phase-II and Gizri areas.