ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: A British citizen, believed to be a member of a European-based drug-smuggling gang, was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) from Islamabad airport and 1.3kg of heroin seized from him.

The ANF authorities said on Friday that Roland Graham Winn was intercepted by the ANF when he was checking in for a France- bound flight at Islamabad airport.

Mr Winn was associated with Air New Zealand as a traffic officer and later joined a trading company in Papua as a logistics manager. He travelled to Indonesia and Malaysia and later was posted to the Philippines in 1994. His job contract expired in 1998.

The ANF authorities said during interrogation Mr Winn revealed that he was first contacted by Dominic Lavel, a French national, in February 2007 at a hotel in Angeles city and both had discussed prospects of narcotics smuggling from Pakistan to France.

They chalked out a strategy to start drug smuggling and Dominic Lavel also gave him some contacts in Islamabad and France, the ANF officials said.

They said it had also come to light during interrogation that Roland Graham Winn had travelled three times to Pakistan. The first time he came to Islamabad was in April 2007 and then on May 27. He was intercepted by the ANF on his third visit as he was checking in for a flight (PK-852) to Paris.

In Islamabad, Mr Winn stayed at a guest house located on street 45 Marvi Road. He also stayed in the same guest house during his earlier visits.

During his stay he had been contacted on his mobile phone by some persons who used code words like “go to Clarks shoe house at 11:30 hours” with him.

Before his departure he was told “what to wear”. He was also told that he would be approached by a person who would pass on the drugs to him.—Staff Reporter