Senior cop held over ‘drug peddling’

Narcotics worth Rs120m seized from vehicle

LAHORE:

A high-ranking officer of the Lahore police has been implicated in drug peddling activities over the past two weeks, sending shockwaves through the law enforcement community.

Former Station House Officer (SHO) of Shahdara, Asghar Maitla, found himself in handcuffs on a fateful Sunday night. He stands accused of accepting substantial bribes in exchange for reducing the quantities of confiscated drugs as a form of illicit gratification.

Upon the discovery of these grave allegations by higher authorities, Maitla was promptly suspended, and an inquiry team was established to investigate the matter. However, instead of cooperating with the inquiry, Maitla chose to evade authorities and went into hiding.

DIG Operations Lahore, Ali Nasir Rizvi, assembled a special team to locate the elusive SHO. Their persistent efforts bore fruit when they succeeded in apprehending Maitla on Sunday night.

The Lahore police have confirmed that an on-going investigation is in progress to delve deeper into the details of this disconcerting case.

This recent arrest follows closely on the heels of another high-profile scandal involving a senior officer.

Just days ago, DSP Mazhar Iqbal, who served as the head of the Anti-Narcotics Unit of the Lahore police, faced charges of drug dealing filed by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).

This accusation was accompanied by the seizure of drugs worth over Rs120 million from a vehicle he was driving, purportedly for the purpose of drug smuggling.

The ANF's investigation into this matter revolved around suspicions of drug supply via drones across the Indian border.

A suspect apprehended in the peripheral areas of Kahna and Kasur revealed that the drugs seized from him were allegedly confiscated by Mazhar Iqbal, who purportedly demanded a bribe in exchange.

Based on this information, the ANF expanded the scope of its investigations.

According to an FIR registered by the ANF, two suspects were driving a car on Barki Road. When an ANF team intercepted the vehicle, one suspect was arrested, while Mazhar Iqbal managed to flee the scene. Subsequently, drones, drugs, and a significant sum of cash were discovered within the vehicle, further deepening the intrigue surrounding these unfolding events.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2023.