MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police and intelligence agencies busted an international drug smuggling network, arresting 10 suspects from Mirpur, an official said on Monday.

Apart from the arrests, police also seized over 4kg of heroin, more than Rs10 million worth of local and foreign currency, a cache of weapons and ammunition, gadgets, important documents and five vehicles.

Addressing a media briefing, Mirpur SSP Khawar Ali Shaukat said that Raja Arshad, alias Billu, had been running an international drug network from Mirpur since 2015. He was involved in smuggling heroin to the UK via parcels and other means, sourcing the drugs from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), AJK, and Islamabad.

Billu, he said, had previously been charged with heroin smuggling in the UK in 2013, alongside his accomplice Raja Qaiser, and was later sentenced by a British court to seven years in prison. He, however, was released on bail a few months after his arrest and subsequently fled to Pakistan.

In 2015, Billu set up a fresh drug smuggling network and resumed operations to smuggle heroin to the UK.

SSP further revealed that in September last year, Mirpur police began covert surveillance of Billu’s close associates.

In November, Dadyal Station House Officer (SHO) Rashid Habib Masoodi arrested two suspected smugglers and seized one kilogram of heroin from them.

During interrogation, the duo confessed to being part of Billu’s international drug network, along with another accomplice, Ehtisham Raja.

Following these revelations, the SSP said, joint teams comprising police and intelligence officials were formed to dismantle the organised network.

In multiple raids across AJK and Pakistan, the joint teams eventually apprehended Billu from one of his hideouts in Mirpur.

According to the SSP, investigations revealed that Billu’s account at a private bank had deposits exceeding Rs60 million. The bank’s management had been contacted to provide records of over 100 suspicious transactions.

Based on information extracted from Billu, police raided a currency exchanger’s residence and shop, recovering Rs6.6 million in cash, 9,155 pounds sterling, 3,130 US dollars, 1,350 euros, and some other foreign currency notes.

They also seized two 44-bore pistols, one 8mm pistol, one repeater, two 222 guns, three 30-bore pistols, one 9mm pistol, one Mauser pistol with magazines and ammunition, one dagger, around a dozen mobile phones, 77 cash record registers, various gadgets and equipment, and five vehicles.

SSP Shaukat said Mirpur police were in contact with the UK authorities and Interpol for further action.

He also disclosed that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) was separately conducting an inquiry into the smuggling of narcotics worth £22 million to the UK and other European countries by Billu’s network.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025