Six Police Officers Sentenced to Life for Drug Trafficking

A sessions court in Karachi has sentenced six police officers to life imprisonment for trafficking 77 kilograms of charas using an official police vehicle.

On Monday, Additional District and Sessions Judge (South) Abdul Hafeez Lashari found six officials from the CIA Jamshoro — Ghulam Abbas, Muhammad Yaqoob, Aijaz Ali Mallah, Abdul Hameed, Rahib Hussain, and Ahmed Nawaz — guilty of transporting a massive quantity of narcotics from Jamshoro to Karachi for illegal distribution.

The court also imposed an additional two-year sentence under Section 155-C of the Police Order, 2002, for misuse of authority, and fined each officer Rs500,000, with further imprisonment in case of default.

The prosecution, led by state prosecutor Shakeel Ahmed Abbasi, detailed how the Boat Basin police, acting on a tip-off in July 2021, intercepted an official police van near Khayaban-i-Sahil, Clifton. Inside, officers discovered two sacks containing 77 kilograms of charas. All six policemen, in uniform and armed, were arrested on the spot.

During the trial, the court was presented with official records confirming that the accused were posted at the CIA Centre Jamshoro and that the vehicle used was government-issued. The judge noted that the officers had “misused their official position, uniform, weapons, and a government-issued police mobile to transport a huge quantity of charas,” directly violating Section 155(c) of the Police Order, which addresses the misuse of authority for wrongful gain.

The defense argued that the seized narcotics had melted and were not in their original state, but the court dismissed this, stating that charas can deform due to heat or pressure and that this did not undermine the evidence.

The accused also claimed they were arrested by Rangers at the Jamshoro Toll Plaza, but the court found no supporting evidence and upheld the prosecution’s account, which was corroborated by the FIR and witness testimonies.

In his remarks, Judge Lashari emphasized the broader implications of the case:

This case strikes at the very heart of public trust. When those sworn to uphold the law instead betray it, the damage reverberates far beyond the courtroom. Police officers are not merely enforcers of justice but embody the covenant between the state and its citizens. Their participation in criminal acts fractures that covenant, eroding faith in institutions meant to protect society.

The case was registered at the Boat Basin police station under Sections 6/9(C) of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act.