The Kabul Tribune (KT) — U.S. and Pakistani authorities have seized about 463 kilograms (1,021 pounds) of crystal methamphetamine valued at $21 million in a coordinated operation targeting a narcotics network with links to Afghanistan, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said.
The seizure was made Aug. 30 after the Drug Enforcement
Administration’s office in Islamabad coordinated with Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics
Force, with cooperation from Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau and the DEA’s
New Delhi office, the embassy said in a statement.
According to the statement, the Anti-Narcotics Force’s Port Control Unit in Karachi identified between Aug. 14 and 29 several containers scheduled to be transported from Pakistan to Colombo. Authorities suspected the containers were carrying illicit narcotics originating in Afghanistan.
According to the statement, the Anti-Narcotics Force’s Port Control Unit in Karachi identified between Aug. 14 and 29 several containers scheduled to be transported from Pakistan to Colombo. Authorities suspected the containers were carrying illicit narcotics originating in Afghanistan.
The Anti-Narcotics Force alerted the DEA, which then
coordinated with authorities in the countries involved to seize the drugs and
arrest several suspects, including Pakistani nationals, the embassy said.
Geo News reported that the operation involved the seizure of
the methamphetamine from the suspected trafficking network.
The U.S. Embassy said Washington has provided foreign
assistance to support continued training for Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force,
describing the agency as a key partner in U.S. efforts to intercept illicit
drugs.
The embassy said the United States remains committed to
working with Pakistan to dismantle transnational criminal organizations
involved in narcotics trafficking and to prevent illicit drugs from reaching
the United States.
The operation highlights ongoing international efforts to
disrupt drug trafficking networks operating across South Asia and involving
multiple countries.
