World | Pakistan
9.5 tonnes of hashish worth $15m seized
Pakistani police have seized 9.5 tonnes of top quality hashish, worth up to $15 million in the international market, which was being transported in a truck to Karachi from upcountry, a custom official said yesterday.
- By Imtiaz Shah, Correspondent
- Published: 00:00 May 3, 2007
Karachi: Pakistani police have seized 9.5 tonnes of top quality hashish, worth up to $15 million in the international market, which was being transported in a truck to Karachi from upcountry, a custom official said yesterday.
Mohammad Yayha, a senior custom officials said police, following a tip off, intercepted the truck near an entry point of Karachi on Super Highway and recovered hashish hidden under the sand bags.
"Credible information was received that a cartel of drug smugglers would attempt to smuggle huge quantity of hashish from Pakistan coastal area to foreign destination," Yayha told a news conference in Karachi.
"On April 21, this truck was spotted near super highway and when the driver was asked to stop, he tried to drive the truck way from the road," he added.
Yayha said the driver and the cleaner of the truck managed to flee after abandoning the vehicle.
"Apparently truck was laden with sand but search revealed the presence of polypropylene bags, containing hashish," he said.
Officials estimate about a quarter of the heroin produced in Afghanistan is smuggled through Pakistan and drug smugglers use Karachi as a transshipment point for transporting drugs from Afghanistan to Gulf states and Europe.
Pakistan officials say drug production and exports are continuing in Afghanistan despite the presence of US and allied forces there and efforts by the interim government to curb the trade.
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