Arms smuggling bid foiled

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police successfully thwarted a smuggling operation, seizing a large consignment of weapons, ammunition and narcotics.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations and Investigation Arsalan Shahzeb, speaking to media representatives at Tarnol Police Station, detailed the operation. The police intercepted a suspicious vehicle attempting to transport a significant quantity of weapons and drugs from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Islamabad.

The seized items include 168 Glock pistols, 69 Beretta pistols, 19 thirty-bore pistols, 15 Makarov pistols, one 32-bore pistol, four MP-5 carbines, 10 twelve-bore shotguns, two double-barrel shotguns and three 44-bore rifles," SSP Shahzeb said. Over 23,540 rounds of ammunition, including 12,500 rounds of 30-bore, 4,040 rounds of 44-bore, 4,000 rounds of 9 mm, 2,900 rounds of 308 and 100 rounds of 7 mm were also recovered. Narcotics were also confiscated, including 150g of ice and 4.5kg of heroin powder.

The arrested suspect, identified as Raza Muhammad, is a habitual offender with a criminal history of eight cases registered across various districts of Punjab.

A case has been registered at Tarnol Police Station against him and further investigations are underway to dismantle the network behind the smuggling attempt and to identify any accomplices.