LAKKI MARWAT: A suspected drug peddler died in police custody under mysterious circumstances here on Saturday.

Official sources said Ishfaq Ahmad was arrested with narcotics from Saeedkhel Mor area of the Lakki city and shifted to the city police station.

The officials said the suspect, a resident of Khoidadkhel locality, allegedly swallowed some narcotics when he noticed the police. They said the police later recovered 50 gram hashish, 15 gram opium and 10 gram ice from one of the pockets of his shirt and shifted him to the city police station.

The officials claimed the drug peddler’s condition worsened during custody, and he died while being taken to the government city hospital.

The sources said some relatives of the deceased also reached the hospital and refused his autopsy, arguing that he was a drug addict and died after taking high doses of opium.

The officials said the body was handed over to relatives without conducting a postmortem.

Meanwhile, DPO Imran Khan taking notice of the death of alleged drug trafficker has constituted a three-member inquiry committee.

The committee comprising SP investigations Mohammad Shafiq Khan, DSP Lakki Iqbal Mohmand and investigation officer Ghulam Mohammad has been directed to submit the report within three days.

Separately, a man was killed and another injured when they came under firing by rivals in Wanda Kalan area on Saturday.

The police identified the deceased as Saqib and the injured as Danish, saying the victims had a blood feud with the attackers.

The body and the injured were shifted to a local hospital.

The police registered a case and began investigation.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2021