By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: The local police in Sunday foiled a drug smuggling bid and arrested a notorious proclaimed offender during a special operation near Landikotal Bypass road, recovering 4 kilograms of the highly addictive drug “ice” (crystal meth) from his possession, police said.
Additional Station House Officer Azmat Wali Shinwari stated that, acting on the directives of District Police Officer (DPO) Khyber, Rai Mazhar Iqbal, a police team led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Bahar Gul and other personnel set up a checkpoint on a key route used for smuggling. During the operation, a suspicious pedestrian was stopped and searched, which led to the discovery of the contraband.
The accused, identified as Muhammad Arif Shinwari, was taken into custody on the spot. According to police, Arif is a proclaimed offender and has multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against him in previous drug trafficking cases. A fresh case has now been registered, and further investigation is underway. Police confirmed that the arrested person is drug addicted and also sells various kinds of drugs in Landikotal.
It may be mentioned that it was not the first major seizure in Landikotal, but in the last two weeks, Landikotal police have recovered around 50 kilograms of fine-quality ice in separate raids and have arrested several suspects.
Over the past several weeks, Khyber district police have intensified operations against drug networks under a crackdown policy led by senior police officials.
Last month, police in Jamrud and Bara recovered significant quantities of drugs, including heroin and ice, in separate raids, arresting several peddlers involved in cross-border smuggling.
Authorities say the porous Pak-Afghan border in Khyber is often exploited by traffickers for transporting drugs, weapons and other contraband. DPO Rai Mazhar Iqbal reiterated the commitment to eliminate the drug menace from the district and lauded the efforts of his team for the successful operation.
