KARACHI, July 11: An anti-narcotics court on Wednesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment in a drug trafficking case.

The court found Syed Inayatullah guilty of attempting to smuggle 90 kilograms of heroin abroad in July 2010.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs1 million and in case of non-payment the convict would have to undergo an additional five-year imprisonment.

Judge Sanaullah Khan Ghoury of the Special Court for Control of Narcotic Substances-II pronounced his judgment after recording evidence of witnesses and final arguments from both sides.

The court in its verdict ruled that it had minutely examined the prosecution evidence and the statements of the accused in juxtaposition and the evidence of the prosecution witnesses appeared to be consistent and trustworthy as there was no enmity between customs officials and the accused.

The verdict stated that the evidence of the prosecution witnesses was supported by the chemical analysis reports showing the recovered stuff as heroin.

It was further proved through bank accounts that he attempted to smuggle heroin powder through container No.GLDU-387845-4 and the accused being proprietor of M/s Inayat Traders booked the consignment, it added.

There was sufficient material against the accused connecting him with the commissioning of the offence beyond a shadow of a reasonable doubt, the judgment concluded.

According to the prosecution, on July 23, 2010 a team of customs officials during the course of surveillance at the Karachi Port Trust for clearance of export consignments made necessary arrangements to examine a consignment, which was declared to be containing 650 bags weighing 26 tonnes of soapstone and was being exported to Spain.

There were specific instructions of thorough examination, therefore the container was opened in the presence of two witnesses and other officials of the surveillance team and 12 out of the 650 bags were found to be filled with heroin powder weighing 60kgs, it added.

The customs arrested the accused and claimed that he along with his absconding accomplices Tariq and Ismail attempted to smuggle a huge quantity of narcotic contraband out of Pakistan.

A case (FIR 01/2010) was registered under Section 9-C of the CNS Act, 1997 at the Customs police station.

Jail authorities produced the accused in court in custody and after the pronouncement of the verdict the judge remanded him back to prison along with the conviction warrant to serve out the remainder of his sentence.