QUETTA, Nov 2: The law enforcement agencies have seized around 1.6 ton of drugs, which include hashish and morphine, in three different raids in Chaman, Nushki and Dalbandin and arrested four alleged drug smugglers on Saturday.
The Crime Investigation Agency, on a tip-off, intercepted a vehicle in vegetable market, Nushki, some 160km south-west of here, and recovered 720 kg of fine-quality hashish.
The hashish was hidden in the secret cavities of the vehicle specially made for drug smuggling, a senior officer of CID, Akram Zaidi said.
“We have arrested two persons for drug smuggling,” he said, adding that the drugs were loaded in the pickup for its smuggling to other areas of the country.
The two persons who were arrested by CID staff were identified as Abdul Wali and Abdul Hadi, residents of Gulistan.
In another raid, conducted by Pishin Scouts in Rami area of Shela Bagh, 384 kgs of hashish was recovered. The hashish was brought from Afghanistan and dumped in the area for sending it to Quetta, Commandant Pishin Scouts, Col Mohammad Sarwar Awan told this correspondent from Chaman.
He said the Scouts, in another raid, seized 95 kg of hashish and 30 kg of heroin in Harargangi area of Roghani refugee camp. However, no arrest could be made in both the raids.
The anti-narcotics force also arrested two persons, along with two vehicles, in Dalbandin area of Chagai district, some 350 kms south-west of this provincial capital and recovered 300 kg of hashish and 195 kg of morphine.
The ANF sources said the raid was conducted on a tip-off. The drugs seized in the raid were brought from Hilmand province of Afghanistan.
The accused arrested were identified as Nooruddin and Mohammad Hussain. A case has been registered against them and further investigation was in progress.
DRUG DESTROYED: The Anti-Narcotics Force burnt 17.2 tons of drug, including heroin, hashish and morphine, in Turbat town, headquarters of Makran division, on Saturday.
These drugs were seized by the ANF during last one year from Makran division and other areas in the province.
The ANF Director-General, Balochistan, Maj-Gen Zafar Abbas, diplomats from different countries and other officials were present on the occasion.
The ANF also handed over 2.563 tons of opium to the government which was seized from different areas of the province during operations against drug smugglers.
Speaking on the occasion the ANF chief said the world had declared Pakistan “a poppy-free country “ as the Anti-Narcotics Force had made tremendous efforts for eliminating this menace from the country.
“Not a single heroin manufacturing laboratory now exists in Pakistan,” he claimed and added that the ANF was making all out efforts to eradicate business of drugs from the country.
He further claimed that poppy cultivation in Pakistan had completely been stopped and those areas of NWFP, which remained famous for poppy cultivation in the past were not planting a single poppy plant now.