ASF thwarts attempt to smuggle 1.3kg of crystal meth abroad

The drugs were hidden skillfully but detected during a routine security check.

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Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel at Islamabad International Airport foiled an attempt to smuggle 1.3kg of crystal meth abroad and arrested the suspect.

The incident occurred during routine checks as passengers prepared to board a Doha-bound flight, Express News reported.

Officials identified suspicious items during an inspection of the luggage belonging to a passenger named Muhammad Jan.

Upon further examination, ASF staff discovered 1.332 kilograms of crystal meth expertly hidden inside a vest packed in the suspect’s bag.

The narcotics were immediately confiscated, and the passenger was taken into custody.

ASF authorities confirmed that the arrested individual, along with the recovered drugs, was handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for further investigation and legal proceedings.

This operation underscores the vigilance of airport authorities in countering narcotics smuggling attempts through Pakistan’s aviation network.

Last week, it was reported that ANF has seized drugs worth over Rs10 million in a series of anti-smuggling operations across Pakistan.

According to an official statement, the operations targeted drug smuggling activities, resulting in the arrest of 9 individuals and the recovery of a total of 63.151 kilograms of narcotics.

The seizures included 3.600 kilograms of hashish found hidden in secret compartments of a car near Koh Noor Mills in Rawalpindi, where the suspect was arrested. In another operation at Fateh Chowk, Hyderabad, 3 kilograms of hashish were recovered from a suspect.

Near Pirwadhai Mor on the GT Road in Rawalpindi, a suspect was arrested with 2.400 kilograms of hashish.

Additionally, 900 grams of hashish were seized from a suspect near a college on the Islamabad Expressway, while 51 grams of weed were found on two suspects near a university in a private housing society in Islamabad. The arrested individuals admitted to selling drugs to students at educational institutions.

In other operations, ANF officers seized 1.200 kilograms of ice (crystal meth) from a suspect near Haji Camp in Peshawar. On Saryab Road in Quetta, two individuals were apprehended with 10 kilograms of hashish. In Gwadar, 32 kilograms of hashish were found hidden near the coastal line.

Furthermore, at a warehouse near D-Block Chowk in Gwadar, 5 kilograms of heroin and 5 kilograms of ice were recovered.

The arrested suspects have been charged under the Narcotics Control Act, and investigations are ongoing.