HANGU, Jan 13: Kohat and Hangu police arrested three men and seized drugs and weapons in an operation at Shahukhel on Monday night. A police official said the "self-declared" tribal area had become a sanctuary for criminals.

However, the local people claimed that Shahukhel was a part of the Orakzai Agency, where the police could not conduct any operation. Hangu police station SHO Shakir Bangash told reporters that 300 men from different police stations took part in the operation.

He said the police in an early morning raid at a hideout arrestedthree outlaws and seized eight kalashnikovs, three .303 rifles, 10 7mm rifles, four 12-bore repeater guns, a pashpasha rifle, two stenguns, six 12-bore shotguns, a double-barrel rifle, 20 kalashnikov magazines, 12 30-bore pistols, five 32-bore revolvers, four 32-bore pistols, three 22-bore pistols, 10 pen pistols, 32 hand grenades, 29 daggers, 13 kalashnikov butts, 694 dynamite detonators, 90 fuses, 600 yards of wire and thousands of rounds.

He said the raiding party seized over 150kg of charas and 256 grams of opium. Suleman, Hanif Khan and Taj Mohammad, allegedly involved in kidnapping for ransom and other crimes, were arrested in the raid.