Mega drug haul: ANF seizes 6.7 tonnes of opium, hashish

Cross-border drug trade receives major setback when record consignment of opium, hashish was seized from storage sites

RAWALPINDI: The cross-border drug trade received a major setback when a record consignment of opium and hashish was seized from storage sites. The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) claimed to have seized drugs worth billions of rupees in Balochistan on Thursday. ANF said it seized 3.3 tonnes of opium and 3.4 tonnes of hashish in two successful operations in Killi Pargo area of Aminabad in Chagai district and Killi Habib Zai, of Gulistan tehsil of Qila Abdullah district respectively. However, no arrests have been made. ANF said both points were being used as storage sites for transaction between international drug cartels. While Chagai district borders both with Afghanistan and Iran, Qila Abdulla shares borders with Afghanistan towards west and has the Quetta city to the east. These seizures, worth Rs9.9 billion in the international market, are among the biggest in the world, ANF said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2014.