18 October 2004	Monday	03 Ramazan 1425

QUETTA, Oct 17: A large haul of drugs and illegal ammunition, including anti-aircraft shells, has been seized from the Shaiban area in the Chagai district near the Afghan border.

The seizure, which contained a tonne of morphine, was made on Sunday by personnel of the Chagai Militia, a wing of the Frontier Corp Balochistan.

An officer of the FC said: "The consignment of fine-quality morphine was brought over from Helmand, Afghanistan," adding that the value of the seized drugs was estimated at millions of dollars.

Sources said that a team of the Chagai Militia, led by Capt Mumtaz Ahmed Lango, had raided a place in the Shaiban area after they were informed about the presence of drugs.

They said that a thorough search of the area yielded 1,123 kilogrammes of morphine, adding that the drugs were stored underground and packed in plastic bags.

Troops, they said, also seized illegal ammunition, including mortar bombs, anti-aircraft shells and .303-calibre rifles.

"Drugs were brought for onward shipment to the Gulf states and Europe by way of the Makran coast," FC sources said. No arrest had been made, they said.

Security forces have seized more than three tons of drugs, including two tons of morphine and one ton of hashish during the past week from the Chagai district and the Gulistan area of the Qila Abdullah district. FC men also took 40 donkeys into their custody from the Gulistan area used for carrying hashish from Afghanistan.

In the second raid, FC personnel also seized 1,025 kilogrammes of morphine in the Dalbandin area close to Pak-Afghan border. No arrest was made in the three raids.