A “notorious drug dealer” was arrested in an injured condition after an exchange of fire with the police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district, the spokesperson of Swabi Police said in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, police were conducting a search operation on Thursday night in various areas within the limits of Kalu Khan police station, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Circle Shakeel Khan, Station House Officer Abdul Wali Khan, along with a police team, against the presence of drug dealers and criminals.

“Police received a tipoff from an informant that notorious drug dealers and wanted suspects were spotted at Wazir Shaheed Road,” the statement said.

“A police team was immediately formed to arrest them. Upon seeing the team, the drug dealer opened fire to evade arrest. The police also returned fire using the right of self-defence. The drug dealer was arrested in an injured condition.”

Police recovered 400 grams of methamphetamine (crystal meth) and a pistol with cartridges from the suspect’s possession, the police added. The suspect was wanted in seven cases, including drug trafficking and burglary, police said.

Per the statement, operations were underway across the district on the orders of the District Police Officer, Swabi, Ziauddin Ahmed, until the elimination of drug dealers.

In March, a cop was martyred while another three were injured during an operation in Swat district as police killed a wanted drug smuggler who was also allegedly behind an officer’s murder.

The police team was pursuing two drug smugglers following a tip-off regarding their activities. They were wanted for martyring Manglawar police station SHO Rahim Khan and injuring another policeman during an encounter in Mingora in December 2024.

Police launched an operation in the mountainous region of Fizagat when the suspects opened indiscriminate fire, killing three policemen. In the ensuing exchange of fire, a wanted drug smuggler was shot dead.