In major drug bust, Pakistan Customs seizes Rs230 million of crystal meth rerouted from Bahrain

KARACHI: In a significant drug bust, Pakistan’s customs department announced on Sunday it had seized a crystal meth consignment valued at nearly Rs230 million ($794,850) after it originated from Afghanistan and was rerouted to Karachi from Bahrain where it remained unattended for several days.
Concealed in dried fruit baskets, the drugs were part of a shipment moved by a resident of Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, who dispatched it to a man named Gulbaz Khan in Bahrain.
When no one received the package at the designated address in the Gulf country, it was returned to Afghanistan via Karachi by the postal authorities, according to the customs officials.
“Since no one received the shipment at the provided address in Bahrain, it was sent back through Karachi,” Syed Irfan Ali, the customs department spokesperson, told Arab News. “It is suspected that by deliberately providing an incorrect address in Bahrain, the sender intended for these drugs to be diverted to Pakistan for potential distribution in Karachi.”
Earlier, an official handout said the customs team inspected the parcel at the Pakistan Post Office on I.I. Chundrigar Road after receiving a tip-off and uncovered the skillfully concealed shipment of high-quality crystal meth weighing about five kilograms.
The discovery prompted the suspension of all transit cargo parcels for inspection by special teams of the Drug Enforcement Cell. As a result, an additional 9.4 kilograms of the same substance was also seized, bringing the total amount recovered during the operation to 14.4 kilograms.
The estimated street value of these narcotics, according to customs officials, is Rs234 million.
A police report has now been registered under the country’s Narcotics Act, and further investigations are underway.
The customs department is also actively making efforts to apprehend people responsible for the illegal shipment, the official statement revealed.