KARACHI: Six policemen of CIA-Jamshoro were arrested here on Sunday after 76 kilograms of charas was found in the police mobile van they were travelling in, officials said on Sunday.

Sources said that Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, made the arrest in Clifton and handed over the suspect to the Boat Basin police for further legal action.

They said that the police team had brought the drug to Karachi from Jamshoro to sell it to someone in Clifton.

According to the FIR (587/2021) registered at Boat Basin police, acting on a tip-off, a police mobile bearing number plate SPF-684, was stopped. Its driver identified himself as constable Mohammed Yaqub and the person sitting with him as constable Ghulam Abbas. Both of them were in plain clothes while four policemen sitting in the rear portion of the mobile van clad in police uniform. They were identified as Aijaz Ali, Rahib Husain, Ahmed Nawaz and Abdul Hameed.

During checking of the mobile van, a total of 76 kilograms of charas was found in the vehicle. The drug was concealed in some 64 packets.

They told the law enforcement agency that they belonged to the CIA police Jamshoro and were sent to Karachi by their in charge, Inspector Nisar Bhatti, to hand over drugs to someone in Shirin Jinnah Colony.

All of them were formally arrested along with their four sub machine-guns and a case was registered under Sections 6 (prohibition of possession of narcotics, drugs etc) and 9-C (punishment for contravention of section 6 etc) of the Control of Narcotics Substance Act.

The offence under Section 9-C is punishable by death or imprisonment for life or imprisonment up to 14 years.

Taking notice of the incident, DIG-Hyderabad Sharjeel Kharal directed the officials concerned to seal the CIA centre, Jamshoro.

He also formed an inquiry team comprising SP Shabbir Sethar, ASP-City Aleena Rajpar and Inspector Abdul Qadir Samoo.

DIG Kharal confirmed to Dawn that he got the CIA centre sealed after conducting searches.

He said no more contraband was found during searches. He said that it was being checked whether such a huge quantity of charas was a case property.

He said those arrested were travelling in the mobile van of CIA-Jamshoro.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2021