SWABI: The police foiled an arms smuggling bid by arresting two inter-district traffickers here on Saturday.

Briefing mediapersons, district police officer Najmul Hassain said the arms were being smuggled in two rickshaws. He, however, said four accomplices of the smugglers escaped.

Mr Hussain said a team led by DSP Chota Lahor Taj Mohammad Khan, SHO Todher police station Altaf Hussain Khan and Assistant Sub-Inspector Amanullah Khan had erected a blockage in the Jehangira-Swabi Road fruit market on a tip-off.

The police recovered weapons hidden in sacks, he said, adding the gang members used to smuggle weapons to Malakand, Nowshera, Swabi and other districts by using rickshaws.

DPO Hussain said three Kalashnikovs, 11 pistols of 30-bore, four 9mm pistols, a repeater, a telescope, 42 magazines of different bores and 1,750 cartridges were recovered from one of the rickshaws. He said a Kalashnikov, a Kalakov and a rifle, eight magazines of different bores and 310 cartridges were recovered from the other three-wheeler.

He identified the smugglers as Amirzada and Haris Khan of Nowshera district.

During the initial investigation, the DPO said the accused confessed to their crime and also revealed the names of other accomplices. He said efforts were on to arrest the fleeing men, including Ashiq, Mushtaq, Shiraz Shamas and Arif, also belonging to Nowshera.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2023