KARACHI: A sessions court has sentenced an operative of ‘international smugglers’ to life imprisonment for trafficking over 13 kilogram of drugs in the metropolis.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (Malir) Liaquat Ali Khoso convicted Abdul Baqi on two counts for possessing over 1kg of heroin powder and more than 12kg of charas with the intent of trafficking it from Al Asif Square to Machhar Colony.

The court sentenced him to life term for possessing charas and also awarded 14-year imprisonment for the offence under the relevant section of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997, for carrying heroin powder.

It also imposed a Rs1.3 million fine on the convict. In case of default, he will have to serve additional eight months in jail.

“The accused was found in possession of the recovered drugs and promptly brought at the police station after arrest, recovery and sealing of the property at the spot was done and then a complaint lodged,” the court observed.

The court also noted that the accused was neither previously convicted in a similar case nor did the prosecution presented any documentary proof of such a conviction. However, he was involved in other cases according to his criminal record.

According to state prosecutor Riaz Ali Soomro, last year in February acting on a tip-off, the police raided near Al Asif Square, Sohrab Goth, and arrested the drug peddler and recovered over 13kg drugs.

In addition, one of the prosecution witnesses, Sub-Inspector Tamachi Khan, who apprehended the drug peddler, informed the court that he had received information that an operative of ‘international smugglers’ had drugs in his possession, which were transported from Chaman Border to Karachi. The drugs were to be supplied from Al Asif Square to Machhar Colony.

During the trial, state prosecutor advocate Soomro argued that the case against the accused was proved beyond a shadow of a reasonable doubt. He further argued that the possession of a huge quantity of drugs had been proved by the prosecution and the initial burden had been discharged. He contended that the chemical report was positive, adding that no enmity was established between the accused and the police to suggest his false implication in the case.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2024