ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: A muezzin (prayer caller) of a mosque was killed by two alleged thieves on Friday.

However, the Sabzi Mandi police later arrested the two accused, which also led to the unearthing of an international gang of drug smugglers besides recovery of 1.5 kg heroin.

Some children at I-10 sector spotted the two men stealing batteries from the tower of a cellular company and informed Zahid Hussain, a native of Haripur and the muazzin of the Owais Qarni mosque located in a nearby street.

The muezzin along with a security guard of the tower chased and caught the alleged thieves and brought them to the mosque and detained them in a room. The police were also informed about the incident.

However, the culprits threatened the muezzin that they would kill themselves by hitting their heads with the wall. When the muezzin opened the door of the room, one of the culprits holding a knife stabbed him in the chest. The muezzin died on the spot and the culprits escaped.

Later, a police team led by subdivisional police officer of Industrial Area, ASP Dr Khalil Ahmad Bhutta, arrested the culprits from Pirwadhai.

According to the police, the accused - FB and MS - confessed to the theft and the murder and said they were heroin addicts and got the drug from a group of Nigerians living in a house at I-10/1.

The police raided the house and arrested six Nigerian nationals and recovered 500 grams of heroin. The Nigerians pointed towards another house in the locality where narcotics were being sold and the police arrested one person along with a kilogramme of heroin and some capsules from there.