Chemical importer set free on bail

KARACHI: Justice Sajjad Ali Shah granted bail to Naseem Ahmed, a chemical importer facing drug trafficking charges, on Wednesday. Ahmed was arrest by the excise police on April 23 after a packet, labelled as Dextro Methor Phanhy Lo Bromide and weighing one kilogramme, was seized from his possession.

When the excise police found 17 similarly labelled packets at Ahmed’s shop in Jodia Bazaar, they booked him under Section 6/9 (c) Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 1997.

Ahmed’s counsel informed the Sindh High Court on Wednesday that only one packet out of the 18 had been sent for chemical analysis, during which it was found that the seized packets did, in fact, contain Dextro Methor Phanhy Lo Bromide, and not narcotics.

The chemical was imported from India and is used in cough syrups, said the counsel, after which the bail for Ahmed was set at Rs10 million.

After hearing the counsel, the judge concluded, “Under the circumstances, I am inclined to admit bail for a sum of Rs10 million with PR bond in like amount to satisfaction of trial court.” PPI