QUETTA, Feb 27: The Anti-Narcotics Force of Balochistan arrested three members of an international gang of drug smugglers and recovered a huge quantity of drugs and illegal weapons after heavy gun battles in Chagai district close to the Pakistan-Afghan border, on Thursday night.

"It was a violent encounter with drug smugglers," a senior ANF officer told Dawn on Friday, adding that the smugglers entered Pakistani from Afghanistan carrying a consignment of drugs.

"The arrested drug smugglers include two Afghanis and one Pakistani," he said. At least two other smugglers have been injured or killed but their bodies were taken away across the border by the escaping smugglers, he added.

The special ANF interdiction squad was patrolling the suspected drug smuggling route, along the border north of Saindak, some 400 kilometres from here. During patrolling, two suspicious vehicles were spotted and ordered to stop but instead the smugglers started firing on the ANF troops and tried to escape.

The ANF troops returned fire and two ANF vehicles gave chase. The smugglers later abandoned their vehicles, and took positions on the nearby mountains, and brought heavy fire to bear on the perusing ANF vehicles, and as a result a few bullets hit the leading ANF vehicle while one bullet went through the uniform of a soldier. But the smugglers were finally forced out of their position.

Three smugglers who were identified as Abdul Nabi, Khuda Ram and Hassan were arrested while one of their vehicle was completely destroyed as it caught fire after being hit by so many bullets.

ANF troops recovered 205-kg of opium, five AK-47 rifles, thousands of rounds, magazines, RPG-7, rockets, wireless sets, and a vehicle. "A team is interrogating the arrested drug smugglers," ANF officials said.

The value of the recovered opium is estimated to be around Rs220 million in the international market, ANF officials said, and added that the smugglers were taking the opium consignment to Iran.