Drugs worth Rs34b recovered from rosewater bottles in Karachi

Ketamine, a cocaine-like narcotic, was concealed in 2,172 bottles of rosewater booked for Dubai, says ANF

The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Sunday recovered drugs worth over Rs34 billion, concealed in rosewater bottles, at the Karachi International Containers Terminal.

The 1,086 litres of Ketamine – a cocaine-like narcotic – were set to be smuggled to Dubai, before being seized during a joint action by the ANF intelligence and port control units, Express News reported.

The personnel confiscated the container with 2,172 bottles concealed in cosmetics items, and launched an investigation.

According to ANF, the narcotics had been booked for Dubai by a Karachi-based company, and that raids were underway to nab the main culprit behind the smuggling attempt.

Also read: Drug use increases during pandemic

Ketamine, used by medical practitioners as an anaesthetic, is sometimes used by people to 'get high'.

Earlier this month, the ANF foiled drug smuggling attempts in two separate operations and arrested three suspects, including a woman.

The personnel intercepted a vehicle heading towards Islamabad with over 64 kilogrammes of drugs, including 48kg of opium and over 16kg of hashish hidden in the trunk of the vehicle, while 850 grams of cannabis was found concealed inside walnuts in the luggage of a passenger named Shahzeb. He was going to Doha via Qatar Airways.

In the other incident, officials arrested Tanveer Akhtar, a resident of Gujranwala and Tanveer Ahmed, a resident of Jhelum on Kashmir Highway, and booked them under different provisions of the law.