DID Press: Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) says it has helped dismantle a transnational drug-trafficking network linked to Afghanistan after authorities seized a combined 671 kg of methamphetamine in operations at ports in Karachi and Colombo.
According to the ANF, 200 kg of methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice,” was recovered from a container at Karachi Port in July. An Afghan national identified as Ehsan Ullah was arrested along with local associates and was described by the force as the alleged mastermind of the network.
The ANF said information obtained during the investigation was shared with Sri Lankan authorities and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Acting on that intelligence, Sri Lankan authorities, in coordination with the DEA, seized a further 471 kg of methamphetamine at Colombo Port. The drugs were reportedly concealed in towels.
The Pakistani force said the combined 671 kg seizure was linked to an Afghanistan-based trafficking network that allegedly sought to use Pakistani territory as a transit route for moving narcotics to international markets.
There is, however, a discrepancy in how the network has been characterized. Pakistani authorities describe it as Afghanistan-based, while Sri Lankan police and the U.S. Embassy in Colombo previously described the network involved in the Colombo seizure as Pakistani and said two Pakistani men had been arrested. The U.S. Embassy put the value of the Colombo shipment at about $21 million.
The ANF said the operation demonstrates the importance of intelligence sharing and international cooperation in combating transnational narcotics trafficking.