Heroin haul worth $13.75m seized in Karachi: Officials

Customs official says second biggest heroin seizure in the history of Pakistan.


Afp May 11, 2012
Heroin haul worth $13.75m seized in Karachi: Officials

KARACHI: Officials said on Friday that they had seized one of the largest ever hauls of heroin in Pakistan, impounding 125 kilograms of the narcotic worth an estimated $13.75 million on the international market.

The seizure is the largest since May last year when the authorities seized 375 kilograms of the drug.

The authorities examined a refrigerated container at Karachi port and found bags of heroin concealed by solution tape and balloons.

"All 5,400 bags were de-stuffed and thoroughly examined and we found 830 pouches each weighing between 145 grams to 155 grams. The total weight of heroin was 125 kilograms," Babar Ali Shah, a customs official told reporters.

"We have arrested the clearing agent and one of his employees," Shah said.

Officials said the heroin was smuggled from neighbouring Afghanistan through Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

"This is the second biggest heroin seizure in the history of Pakistan," another customs official Qamar Thalho said, putting the value of the stash at $0.55 million on the local market and $13.75 million on the international market.

He said the narcotic hidden in a container was booked for Malaysia.

Pakistan has more than four million drug addicts in a population of nearly 180 million, according to figures compiled by the ANF, which is responsible for investigating and prosecuting drug offences.

Opium poppy is grown on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Pakistan has a 2,500-kilometre porous border with Afghanistan, which supplies 90% of the world's opium used to make heroin.

COMMENTS (17)

ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply

Please make sure it has burnt properly

Zainab | 12 years ago | Reply

We feel Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa CM needs to explain how such a quantity slipped through n under their nose. Same time CM Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa should take this matter with Mr. Karzai government above all NATO (guardians of Afghanistan) after all NATO is not there to kill people but help Afghanistan to clean it's domestic mess as well.

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