Heroin-smuggling family arrested at Lahore airport

One kilogramme heroin has been recovered from the possession of four suspects, including two children

LAHORE: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Monday claimed to have arrested at least four suspects, including two children, from Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport and recovered one kilogramme heroin from their luggage.

The ANF during a search operation at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and recovered one kilogramme heroin from the belongings of a "family" who were travelling to Sri Lanka, sources told The Express Tribune. Meanwhile, officials said it is yet to be established whether the suspects were related to each other or were posing as a family to trick airport authorities.

The suspects were identified as Zahoor John Samuel s/o John Samuel, Asma Mazhar, four-year-old Shan Mazhar and five-year-old Ayan Mazhar. All the suspects have been sent to an undisclosed location for further investigations.



Last week, the ANF had apprehended a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) official for allegedly smuggling heroin on various flights.

Iqbal Ghurki was rounded up from Lahore for stashing away bags of heroin in several flights of the national flag carrier. Authorities at PIA were also informed about the arrest. However, PIA Spokesperson Daniyal Gilani did not directly address the arrest, saying some officials of the national flag carrier had been handed over to agencies for investigation.

It was during the month of May when Customs officials recovered over 27 kilogrammes heroin from a PIA aircraft during an intelligence-based raid in Karachi. Officials conducted the raid at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport and seized nine packets of heroin from the lavatory of a Europe-bound aircraft parked in the hangar. In November last year three kilogrammes heroin were found in a Dubai-bound PIA flight.