13 suspects arrested in major drug bust in Karachi, narcotics worth nearly Rs1 bn seized

Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Sindh Minister, on Monday announced the arrest of 13 suspected drug traffickers, including an official from the Excise and Taxation Department, and the seizure of an enormous haul of narcotics valued at nearly Rs 1 billion. 

Addressing the media at the Karachi Police Office alongside Mukesh Kumar Chawla (Excise Minister) and senior police officials, Lanjar said the operation was carried out by the city’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and Special Task Force Karachi, based on intelligence gathered from various parts of the metropolis. 

According to him, authorities recovered more than 508 kilograms of narcotics, encompassing hashish and “crystal meth (ice)”, including 468 packets of hashish and 540 packets of methamphetamine. 

Crucially, one of the arrested individuals is a serving Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer (AETO), named Javed Sheikh, from whose residence law enforcement seized 50 kg of hashish and 10 kg of ice. 

Lanjar stressed that the detainees are believed to be part of organized criminal groups involved not only in trafficking narcotics but also in the sale and transportation of illegal drugs across Karachi. 

The Home Minister further disclosed that over the past 44 hours, additional targeted operations, triggered by this breakthrough, resulted in the confiscation of even more narcotics. All seized materials have been secured and transferred to legal custody for further proceedings. 

He also underlined that the crackdown on narcotics has widened: previously, 28 officials from the Excise Department were arrested and dismissed for their alleged involvement in drug-related activities. So far, a total of 56 individuals linked to various drug-trafficking networks have been held in multiple raids across the city. 

This operation marks one of the largest anti-narcotics crackdowns in Karachi’s recent history, sending a strong message to drug networks operating within the city’s boundaries.