'Cocaine queen' case: AIG claims global drug network

Investigators claim links across cities and abroad as banking probes, forensic data uncover millions in drug proceeds

KARACHI:

The high-profile narcotics investigation involving arrested suspect Anmol, alias Pinky, has taken a dramatic turn, with police claiming the emergence of a vast international drug network spanning multiple cities and countries, while investigators continue to uncover new financial trails, contacts, and alleged operational links tied to the case.

Additional IG Karachi Azad Khan said during a detailed briefing that forensic analysis of the suspect's mobile phone has exposed what investigators describe as a "deep and wide-reaching criminal network," according to police officials. They added that 869 contact numbers were recovered from the device, of which 639 have already been traced, revealing connections extending far beyond Karachi.

AIG Khan further stated that only 132 of the traced contacts were based in Karachi, while a significant majority were linked to other cities and foreign countries. He claimed this pattern strongly indicates that the accused was operating within a broader intercity and international drug trafficking structure rather than a localized network.

He also claimed that the investigation has uncovered links with drug traffickers in several African countries, with six to eight foreign associates believed to be involved. He added that 20 women from Lahore and eight riders were part of an organised logistics chain used to transport narcotics between Lahore and Karachi, with coordination underway with Lahore police and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). Four key suspects have also been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), he said.

Officials further revealed that financial probes have identified a bank account linked to the accused but operated by a man identified as Zeeshan, recently detained from Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Transaction records spanning more than 500 pages reportedly show transfers exceeding Rs30 million over a period of one and a half years. Investigators suspect the use of multiple intermediaries, including a Lahore-based woman allegedly linked to international handlers.

Police also confirmed a major breakthrough following a raid at an apartment in A-One Complex on Abul Hassan Isphahani Road, conducted on the suspect's identification. During the operation, 228 grams of cocaine worth around Rs4.5 million were recovered from a bathroom, along with seven empty containers. A separate case has been registered at Sachal police station.

Investigators said the accused allegedly disclosed details of long-running narcotics operations, including distribution networks involving riders, assistants, and chemical mixing processes used to alter narcotics. They added that further cases have emerged against her in Sindh and Lahore, expanding the scope of the investigation.

The DIG South, in separate letters to the IG Punjab Police and ANF's regional director, has sought complete criminal records, blocked CNIC details, property holdings, and banking information of the accused, describing her as a "high-profile habitual offender."

However, defence counsel Advocate Mir Hidayatullah has strongly rejected the allegations, claiming his client was taken into custody on May 1 from Lahore and that a missing persons application had already been filed there. Speaking to the media outside the City Courts on Friday, Advocate Hidayatullah alleged illegal detention, fabricated cases, and failure by police to present the accused before court.