SHC dismisses bail application in drug smuggling case

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has recently dismissed bail application of a suspect in a drug smuggling case. Adnan Shahzad was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for trying to smuggle two kilogrammes of methamphetamine abroad on July 26, 2022.

A counsel for the applicant submitted that the boarding card of the applicant was not produced by the prosecution and charge sheet was filed with delay. He said that samples of the allegedly recovered contraband was sent for analysis before the registration of the case and sketch of place of incident did not show where the applicant was present. He requested the high court to grant him bail.

An ANF special prosecutor supported the prosecution case and submitted that sufficient evidence had been placed against the applicant. He requested the high court to dismiss the bail application.

A single bench of the SHC headed by Justice Omar Sial after hearing the arguments of the counsel observed that it appeared the applicant was apprehended red-handed while being in possession of a substantially large quantity of a substance opined by the laboratory to be methamphetamine, a prohibited narcotics under the law, which the applicant was trying to smuggle out of the country.

The SHC observed that no ill-will or mala fide intention of the ANF had been argued or as a matter of fact was borne out from the record which would motivate the ANF to file a false case against the applicant. The bench observed that no case of bail was made out at this stage of trial and dismissed the bail application of the applicant.