Authorities at Sialkot Airport foiled a drug smuggling attempt when they recovered 40 cocaine-filled capsules from a passenger preparing to depart for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.
According to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), the capsules contained around 230 grams of cocaine. The suspect, a member of an international drug trafficking ring, was taken into custody during the operation.
Officials said the man was shifted to a hospital, where the capsules were retrieved from his stomach. Acting on his information, ANF also arrested another accomplice from the airport’s parking area.
The agency strongly condemned the misuse of the sacred Umrah pilgrimage for drug smuggling and reiterated its zero-tolerance policy against narcotics.
The ANF added that it is actively targeting trafficking networks at both national and international levels by using advanced technology and intelligence-sharing methods.