PESHAWAR, May 4: The customs authorities at the Torkham border on Wednesday foiled an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of chemicals used in the making of heroin to Afghanistan and arrested one person, official sources told Dawn. The customs personnel on suspicion stopped three trucks apparently loaded with cement. During checking, they recovered 1,725 litres of acetic-an-hydrides and a large quantity of soda ash, potassium nitrate and carbon, from two of those vehicles, the sources said.

“These chemicals are the main ingredients used in the making of heroin,” said an official, adding that an alleged smuggler was taken into the custody but two of his accomplices escaped.

This was the second big attempt to smuggle acetic-an-hydrides to Afghanistan in nine days. —Correspondent