Weapons seized from ‘smuggler’

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Taunsa Saddar police on seized a cache of ammunition being smuggled into the province from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday.

DSP Muhammad Saleem Niazi told newsmen the Saddar Taunsa SHO had received a tip-off from security agencies on December 17 that a van carrying illegal weapons would cross Bridge 22 to enter the Punjab. He said police had set up pickets in the area. He said after searching various vehicles for three hours, a police team found weapons stashed in hidden compartments of a van driven by Noor Muhammad Shah, a resident of Karak. Niazi said police seized 15 pistols and 198,000 bullets worth Rs1 million, and arrested Shah.  In November, police had arrested four suspects for smuggling arms from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Turman check post. DPO Ghulam Mubashir Maiken said the suspects were trying to supply arms to terrorists in the Punjab. Taunsa Circle SDPO Salim Khan Niazi, the police officer in charge of the check post at Turman had been issued orders for setting up undeclared check posts at Mor Jhangi, Wajanwala, Pakat Bukhara and Turman. At around 7am, two cars were stopped at the Turman check post and SI Saifullah of the Elite Force and Wahwa SHO Chaudhry Ali had searched the cars and recovered six Kalashnikovs, 54 pistols, six Mausers, two repeaters and 70,780 bullets from boxes concealed in the cars’ bumpers. The smugglers were identified as Fareedullah, Mateeullah, Farmanullah and Atif Rahman.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2015.