Has Mustafa Amir case disrupted operation of Karachi’s drug cartel?

The arrest of Armaghan, the prime suspect of Mustafa Amir’s murder, followed by Sahir Hassan’s arrest has disrupted the operation of the drug cartel in Karachi, particularly in the upmarket neighbourhoods.

The recent crackdown has caused a halt in the supply of weed, causing massive financial losses to drug dealers. Amir’s murder and the subsequent arrests have exposed multiple aspects of a drug cartel that had been operating in the city for years.

Karachi’s high-end weed market is dominated by three different types: Jungle Boy, which is the most expensive, as it is sold at Rs15,000 per gram; Gelato, which is priced at Rs12,000 per gram; and Pamela, which is the least expensive but still costs Rs10,000 per gram.

These drugs are being bought and sold reportedly on the dark web and across various social media platforms and apps. Some courier companies have also reportedlybeen linked to their transportation.

In Karachi this trade was controlled by three individuals, but now two of them are dead and the third is in police custody. The big question is: does the death and arrest of these three mean the cartel has permanently been shut down?

Experts believe that completely dismantling such networks is nearly impossible. While this particular setup has been disrupted for now, it is only a matter of time before new dealers and suppliers emerge. This billion-rupee industry is too profitable for the mafia and new players to abandon. In the end, the trade will continue, even if the faces change. “You won’t find weed being sold anywhere now,” CIA chief DIG Muqaddas Haider told The News. “The suppliers have disappeared, and the supply has almost completely stopped. If it’s still being sold, it’s only within very limited, closed circles, handled with extreme caution and at significantly higher black-market prices.”

It is worth mentioning here that during Hassan’s interrogation, he had disclosed that 75 per cent of the money he earned from drug sales was deposited into an account managed by his father’s manager.

Following this revelation, police have begun investigating his bank transactions. If these details are verified, police may formally include both the manager and Hassan’s father in the investigation.

Police clarified that they have only interviewed the manager but have not yet formally included him in the investigation. Authorities are awaiting verification of Hassan’s financial transactions before taking further action.

“We are contacting the banks through the proper procedure to verify these transactions,” said DIG Haider. “Only after confirmation will we decide whether or not to officially involve them in the case.” The investigating officer revealed that Hassan is the only suspect in police custody in the drugs case. Another individual who was initially detained was later released after it was confirmed that he had left the drugs business two or three years ago following a serious accident that had put him in a coma.

Police are also searching for an individual named Bazil, who is reportedly based in Islamabad and is the key supplier of weed. Investigators believe that if Bazil is caught and provides information about courier companies involved in drug shipments, police would send official inquiries to these companies and demand clarifications regarding their role.

Regarding alleged involvement of politicians, bureaucrats and showbiz personalities, investigators said that different individuals have made various claims. However, police clarified that these accusations appear to be personal vendettas rather than based on solid evidence.

“There’s no point in making random arrests,” said another senior officer. “We’re continuing our work, and suppliers will only be apprehended when we recover weed from them. This will strengthen our case. We won’t engage in any wrongful tactics just to showcase our performance. Doing so would only weaken our own investigation.”