The Sahiwal district police on Friday seized narcotics estimated to fetch Rs650 million from a truck in Cheechawatni.
Saddar Station House Officer Hafiz Saeed Ahmed said that the police received a tip about a truck carrying narcotics. He said check posts on the National Highway were directed to check every truck.
He said when the truck carrying the drugs was stopped, the driver told police that it was carrying vegetables and fruits from Peshawar. He said when it was searched, the police discovered that there were boxes of hashish hidden under fruits and vegetables.
Police said the boxes carried 12,000 kilograme of hashish (300 maunds). Its value on the street was estimated at Rs650 million.
Sahiwal District Police Officer Khurram Ali Shah said initial investigations suggested that the narcotics were being transported to Sukkar and Karachi.
The driver and his two helpers were arrested. Two of them were identified as Naeem Ahmed and Akhtar Ali, both residents of Bahawalnagar.
The district police officer said that police teams had been dispatched to Peshawar, Sukkhar and Karachi for further investigation to identify the dealers.
He said the police were optimistic about unearthing a huge circle of narcotics trade and dealers.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2014.