Rs300m crystal meth haul disguised as dry fruits seized at Karachi airport

The parcel returned unattended from Bahrain and was to be dispatched back to Afghanistan

KARACHI:

In a significant operation at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, the Pakistan Customs Drug Enforcement Cell on Saturday uncovered a stash of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as "crystal ice", with an estimated street value of Rs300 million.

The narcotics were concealed within three baskets of dry fruits that were originally sent from Afghanistan to Bahrain and subsequently returned to Pakistan.

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The contraband, which had been dispatched to an individual named Gulbaz Khan residing in Bahrain, returned unattended. Under international law, the parcel could not be opened without proper authorisation from the intended recipient.

According to Collector Shafiq Ahmed, who is stationed at Jinnah International Airport's terminal, it is suspected that Gulbaz Khan, possibly out of fear of legal consequences, chose not to receive the parcel and decided to send it back.

The bags of dry fruits, originally dispatched from Mazar Sharif, Afghanistan, were attributed to an individual identified as Rafi, hailing from Afghanistan. As Pakistan shares a border with Afghanistan, the bags of dry fruits arrived at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport. The plan was to transport the goods back to Afghanistan via Peshawar.

However, vigilant officials from the Customs Drug Enforcement Cell, noticing irregularities that raised suspicions of hidden contraband, decided to investigate further. Subsequently, their inspection led to the discovery of 14.5 kilograms of high-quality crystal meth concealed among the fruits, thwarting a potential smuggling operation.

Collector Shafiq Ahmed shared that a case has been registered based on the complaint filed by a customs preventive officer. Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.