PESHAWAR, April 13: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has arrested seven people, including two women, for allegedly belonging to a drug smuggling ring in three separate actions and recovered a large quantity of contraband, according to an official statement issued here on Thursday.

Three teams were constituted by ANF Commander Brig Najmul Hasan Jamil on prior information about attempts to smuggle narcotics from the tribal region to Punjab and Karachi.

One of the ANF teams stationed on Jamrud Road signalled a new Toyota Corolla car coming from Khyber Agency to stop. But the driver of the vehicle stepped on the accelerator and tried to swerve back towards the tribal region.

However, another ANF vehicle dashed against the car and forced it to stop. The ANF team arrested the alleged smuggler identified as Noor Agha Jan, a resident of Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency, and recovered 282kgs of hashish and 32kgs of opium concealed in the secret cavities of the vehicle.

The ANF team deputed at the Daewoo bus stand on the Grand Trunk Road arrested two alleged women smugglers and recovered 9.45kgs of heroin from their possession.

The official statement said that Baz Gula, wife of Hussain Khan, a resident of Harichand (Charsadda) and Seema, daughter of Ezzat Khan, a resident of Pishtakhara, were trying to smuggle 5.25kgs and 4.2kgs of heroin, respectively, to Lahore.

Both women were apprehended and an investigation was launched to net other members of the gang, the statement added.

In another action, the ANF team on prior information stopped a Karachi-bound passenger bus on the Indus Highway in Kohat district and recovered 20kgs of opium and 4.6kgs of hashish concealed in the air-conditioning system.

ANF personnel arrested the bus driver and four other persons, including Nawab Gul, a resident of Mianwali; Sardar Hussain, a resident of Peshawar; Zaffar, a resident of Charsadda, and Hukmat Jan.

During the preliminary interrogation, the accused disclosed names of their accomplices. A manhunt has been launched for other members of the gang.