KARACHI/COLOMBO: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has disrupted an international drug trafficking network involved in smuggling Afghan-origin narcotics through Pakistan to overseas markets, recovering a total of 671kg of methamphetamine (Ice) in coordinated operations at Karachi and Colombo ports.
According to the ANF spokesperson, the breakthrough followed actionable intelligence developed by the force regarding a transnational drug trafficking organisation.
During an operation at Karachi Port, ANF recovered 200kg of methamphetamine (Ice) concealed in a container. The operation also led to the arrest of the alleged Afghan mastermind, Ehsan Ullah, along with local handlers.
Following a detailed investigation of the Afghan kingpin, ANF Pakistan shared critical intelligence with authorities in Sri Lanka and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The information prompted coordinated action in Sri Lanka. A joint operation involving the DEA and relevant Sri Lankan authorities at Colombo Port resulted in the recovery of 471kg of methamphetamine (Ice) concealed inside towels.
With the seizures at Karachi and Colombo ports, a total of 671kg of methamphetamine linked to the Afghanistan-based drug trafficking network was recovered.
The ANF said the intelligence was shared with the DEA because of the urgency of the matter, enabling timely coordination with Sri Lankan authorities and helping prevent the narcotics from reaching international markets.
Pakistan, the ANF said, remains a victim state for Afghan-origin drugs and continues to fulfil its international obligations by working closely with allied and partner law enforcement agencies on coordinated counter-narcotics operations.
The force said advanced intelligence-based strategies played a central role in identifying and disrupting the transnational trafficking network.
The successful operation, according to ANF, demonstrates the force’s capabilities in tackling international narcotics trafficking and its ability to work effectively with law enforcement agencies abroad.
The ANF spokesperson said the force’s efforts to dismantle international drug trafficking organisations and apprehend Afghan drug traffickers and their local facilitators had been formally acknowledged by Sri Lankan authorities and the US DEA.
The recognition, the spokesperson added, underscores ANF’s role in international counter-narcotics cooperation.