Sahir Hasan confessed to supplying weed, IO tells court

Police have filed an interim charge sheet against a veteran actor's son before a District South judicial magistrate in a case pertaining to alleged possession of 557 grammes of weed worth around Rs8.3 million.

Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Inspector Syed Ghous Alam charge-sheeted Sahir Hasan for allegedy committing offences punishable under the sections 6 (prohibition of possession of drugs) and 9-3B (contravention of prohibition of possession, import or export and trafficking of drugs) of the Sindh Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 2024.

In February, Sahir was caught with five packets of weed (ganja) weighing 557 grammes in the Khayaban-e-Rahat area in DHA Phase-VI, according to the police.

The investigation officer put fleeing accomplice Bazil Ashiq, said to be a drug dealer, in the column No 2 of the charge sheet under the Section 512 (record of evidence in absence of accused) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) over failing to trace him.

He put another absconding suspect Yahya in the column No 2 in blue ink, meaning that he may not be tried for lack of his particulars to trace him.

The IO stated that during the interrogation, Sahir confessed to his crime. The suspect disclosed that he began smoking hashish in 2014 and started using weed in 2016, he said, adding that Sahir had also tried to cultivate weed at his residence.

The charge sheet said the suspect got weed from Bazil and Yahya, who were weed dealers, and supplied it to various people, adding that he revealed to the police that he did not have a bank account, due to which he received payment for the weed in the account of his father’s manager.

It said that Bazil and Yahya would send weed to the suspect through courier services after smuggling it into Pakistan from abroad using various methods.

The IO said a forensic analysis of the suspect’s mobile phone showed the presence of receipts of shipment and supply of weed as well as those of payments received thereof.

He said he had obtained warrants for the arrest of Bazil from the relevant court and searched him at his residence but he was not present there.

He said he had sent letters to the relevant banks for provision of account statements of Bazil and other suspects after obtaining permission from the relevant court under the Section 23-C of the Sindh Control of Narcotic Substances Act 2024.

He said he had used all resources at his disposal to arrest the fleeing suspects but to no avail as they had gone into hiding because of fear of arest.

In the light of the investigation, statements of witnesses, chemical report and other evidence, the IO concluded that charges were established against Sahir and the fleeing suspects, Bazil and Yahya.