Mardan police bust international gang of drug smugglers

MARDAN: The police have arrested three people who used to allegedly smuggle ice drug and heroin through Umrah visitors and recovered 6kg of ice and 1kg of heroin, a senior police officer said on Thursday.

Speaking at a news conference, District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Sajjad Khan said that the police, acting on a tip-off, recovered 300 grams of ice and 1kg of heroin from a car (AKC-523) at a checkpoint on Mardan-Malakand road near Jalala. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ziaullah and other officials were also present on the occasion.

The DPO added that the police also arrested one alleged smuggler identified as Inayat-ur-Rehman, a resident of Qamargai, Jalala. He added that the accused was a member of an international gang of smugglers, and wanted by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Rawalpindi, in different cases.

Sajjad Khan said that on the identification of the arrestee, the police raided his house located in Takhtbhai and recovered 6,100 grams ice drug, 1,005 grams heroin. He added that ice was packed in 24 walnuts and other items.

The DPO added that the police also recovered 33 Ahrams, 46 pairs of chappal, 45 Ahram belts, 43 caps, perfumes, soap, cream boxes, grinder, passport, ID cards, foreign flight tickets and other documents and packing materials. He said that from the home, the police also arrested two accused identified as Akhtar Munir and Bakht Munir, residents of Takhtbhai.

He added that during the interrogation, the arrestees told police that they smuggle ice and heroin abroad through Umrah visitors. They added that in this connection, they pay all the expenses for the Umrah to the Umrah visitors.

The DPO said the arrested people told police during the initial interrogation that they search for poor people to use them. He said some visiting cards of travel agents were also recovered from the arrested persons.