Drug peddlers arrested in Oman

Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) have arrested a gang of alleged drug smugglers accused of smuggling narcotics into Oman.

Oman has a long coastline along the northern parts of the country and smugglers are suspected of using the coastal areas of Pakistan and Iran to bring in drugs to Oman.

The long coast of northern Oman is also used for "offloading" human cargo as hundreds of Pakistan and Afghan nationals attempt to sneak into the country through the sea route.

Although the ROP press release only identified the accused drug smugglers as of Asian nationality, sources confirmed that they were Pakistanis.

The Drug Enforcement department at the Director General of Criminal Investigations got a tip off about the gang operating in Batinah and Muscat regions.

The police formed a crack team to monitor the movement of the gang and after following its members for a few days apprehended two of them in Muscat.

A trader who facilitated the illicit business was also arrested. The suspects were caught while in possession of different types of narcotics.