LAHORE, Dec 3: The Anti-Narcotics Force claims having recovered 442kg of drugs from nine drug pushers, including five Nigerian nationals.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, ANF commander Brig Ishfaqur Rasheed said following a tip-off that some Nigerian nationals had planned to smuggle heroin, a team was sent to the Lahore airport.

Identified as Robert Uchennachoiba, Ikem Christo-pher Odina, Ezemira Jarcy, Samuel Opurum and George Ikachuian, the five Nigerians were off-loaded from a Abu Dhabi-bound flight, he said. “Nothing was found in their luggage. They were taken to hospital where 280 capsules filled with five kilograms of heroin were recovered from their stomachs.”

On another information, he said, an ANF team set up a picket on Multan Road at Thokar Niaz Baig exit of the motorway. A car when signalled to stop accelerated. When the team chased the car, its occupants opened fire which was retaliated. The car was later rounded up and one of its occupant was arrested, while four others managed to escape.

Identifying as Fayaz Omarzai, the arrested man told the names of his accomplices as Sher Bahadur Khan, Bakhtiar Khan, Sohail Omarzai and Feroz Omarzai.

Mr Ishfaq said 426kg of hash, one Kalashnikov and two pistols were recovered from the car bearing a green number plate and having a police siren.

In another raid, the ANF team searched a garments consignment for West Africa lying at the cargo international shed and recovered two kilograms of heroin. The owner of the consignment, Farooq Khan, of Abbot Road was arrested later on.

Following another information, an ANF team intercepted a truck on Multan Road and arrested Aaqil Khan and Wali Khan with five kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of hash.

Further investigation is under way.