Sialkot Airport officials foiled a drug trafficking bid by arresting a passenger who was about to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah after detecting 40 heroin smuggling capsules in the bags. The capsules reportedly had about 230 grams of narcotic according to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). The suspect who was also associated with an international drug trafficking network was instantly arrested.
Police officials reported that the man was taken to the hospital where the capsules were removed safely out of his stomach. On his leads, ANF arrested another accomplice who was waiting in the airport parking area.
The ANF strongly condemned the exploitation of the sacred Umrah pilgrimage for illicit trafficking and emphasized its zero-tolerance stance on narcotics. Officials emphasized the fact that the crackdown is one of the wider campaigns aimed at addressing drug networks at both national and international levels through advanced technology and intelligence-sharing.
Read more: Saudi Police Seize Crystal Meth, Arrest Two Pakistanis in Madina
As observed by experts, smuggling of cocaine at airports is a profitable and dangerous business and that constant vigilance is crucial. The activities of the ANF make sure that such illegal operations are always interrupted to safeguard the travelers and the sanctity of religious travels.
