Mardan police say 16 smugglers held in operation

MARDAN: Police have arrested 16 people in cases of drug smuggling and also recovered drugs of various kinds in an operation in Mardan district, a senior official said.

Speaking to the media, District Police Officer Sajjad Khan said that during operations in city, Sheikh Maltoon and Takhtbhai circles, the police arrested 16 alleged drug smugglers, including three inter-districts drug dealers. The drugs recovered include 1200 grams ice, 31kg hashish, 20 bottles wine. The arrestees were identified as Amanullah, Tariq Shah and Khanzeb, Arsalan, Rahimdad, Arshad, Shakil Ahmed, Umair, Niaz Muhammad, Jalil, Misal, Naimat, Jehangir, Zewer, Shaukat and Iqbal.

The DPO said that drug-peddlers and narcotic smugglers has become a risk for people’s lives, especially youths and students. He added that Mardan police had already conducted an awareness campaign in the district and arranged meetings with the officials of various departments. The DPO added that the search operation had been launched to purge the area of anti-social elements and drug-peddlers and smugglers.

“We are interrogating the accused to check the routes to track the sources wherefrom the ice drug is coming in,” he said.