MSA, customs seize 100kg of crystal meth in major drug haul

Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency (MSA) and Customs Intelligence seized 100 kilograms of a deadly drug off the Karachi coast on Tuesday, officials said.

MSA and customs officials conducted a joint raid close to Pakistan’s western territorial waters and seized 100 kilograms of crystal meth - one of the most powerful illegal drugs - and detained 12 smugglers, said an MSA spokesman.

The seized consignment of drugs was worth around Rs1 billion in the international market, he said, adding that the consignment had been dispatched for the US and Europe from eastern Africa.

The drugs were handed over to the Pakistan Customs for disposal. The operation was carried out on instructions issued by MSA Director General Rear Admiral Jameel Akhtar.

MSA’s Lt-Commander Wajid Nawaz said the MSA and customs intelligence had got information that some smugglers would try to operate in the open sea. During the night, they spotted a suspicious launch, began an operation and arrested the smugglers. 

He said the MSA was fully alert to defend the maritime limits of Pakistan and to uproot the menace of smuggling. He said the safety of the coastal areas and the CPEC installations was a priority.