PESHAWAR, March 14: An alleged drug trafficker escaped from the custody of anti-narcotics force officials near the provincial headquarters of the ANF after he was arrested at Peshawar International Airport on Wednesday morning.

The accused, Hameed, resident of Bara, jumped off a moving vehicle and fled towards a nearby tribal area, an ANF official, who wanted not to be named, told Dawn.

An FIR was lodged with the Hayatabad police by ANF Inspector Sameen Jan who was accompanying a raiding party.

Four sepoys of the team, from whose custody the suspect escaped, have been put in quarter guard and an inquiry is going on.

The ANF was said to have been tipped-off that drugs were being smuggled from the airport. A team arrested the alleged drug peddler, but no contraband was seized. They were taking him to the ANF headquarters when he jumped out of the vehicle and fled towards the tribal area.