ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has helped the United States and Sri Lanka dismantle an Afghanistan-based transnational drug trafficking network, with intelligence provided by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) leading to the seizure of 671kg of crystal methamphetamine at Karachi and Colombo ports.
The operation exposed a trafficking route being used to move Afghan-origin methamphetamine through Pakistan towards international markets. At the same time, the arrest of an Afghan suspect in Karachi enabled Pakistani authorities to provide critical intelligence for the subsequent seizure in Sri Lanka.
“During this international joint operation against narcotics trafficking, a total of 671 kg of methamphetamine (Ice) linked to the Afghanistan-based drug trafficking network was seized from Karachi and Colombo ports,” ANF said.
The ANF added that its intelligence-sharing led to the recovery of 200kg of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, from a container at Karachi Port and a further 471kg from Colombo Port in Sri Lanka.
The seizures were part of a coordinated international operation targeting a network attempting to use Pakistani territory as a transit route for moving Afghan-origin narcotics to international markets.
Afghan Kingpin Arrested
According to the ANF, the operation began with actionable intelligence developed by its personnel, leading to the seizure of 200kg of methamphetamine at Karachi Port.
An Afghan national identified by the force as Ehsan Ullah, described as the network’s Afghan mastermind, was arrested along with local handlers.
Following an investigation into the suspected kingpin, the ANF said it shared critical intelligence with Sri Lankan authorities and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), enabling authorities to track and intercept another shipment.
The information resulted in the recovery of 471kg of methamphetamine at Colombo Port, where the drug had allegedly been concealed inside towels.
Intelligence Shared Abroad
The ANF said the international operation demonstrated the importance of intelligence-sharing in disrupting trafficking networks that operate across multiple jurisdictions.
It said Pakistan remains both a transit route and a victim of Afghan-origin narcotics, adding that the country cooperates with international and partner agencies as part of its obligations to combat drug trafficking.
The force said it shared its intelligence with the DEA due to the urgency of preventing the shipment from reaching international markets.
The ANF said the combined operation resulted in the seizure of 671kg of methamphetamine from Karachi and Colombo ports, disrupting what it described as a transnational drug-trafficking organisation with links to Afghanistan.
Colombo Drug Seizure
Sri Lankan police and the US Embassy in Colombo announced the seizure earlier this week, saying almost half a tonne of crystal methamphetamine had been intercepted in a joint operation.
The US Embassy said the drugs, estimated to be worth about $21 million, had been concealed in bath towels and were intended for onward smuggling to international markets through Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan and US authorities had earlier identified the trafficking network as Pakistani and said two Pakistani men were arrested in connection with the case.
The ANF, however, said its investigation into the 200kg methamphetamine seizure at Karachi Port led to the identification of an Afghanistan-based trafficking network.
The arrest and interrogation of the alleged Afghan kingpin, Ehsan Ullah, yielded intelligence that the ANF subsequently shared with Sri Lankan authorities and the US Drug Enforcement Administration, helping lead to the seizure of another 471kg of methamphetamine at Colombo Port.
The operation highlights the growing international focus on trafficking routes involving Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asian maritime ports.
The ANF said its role in exposing the network and coordinating with the DEA and Sri Lankan authorities demonstrated Pakistan’s capacity to contribute intelligence to international counter-narcotics operations.
It said the force’s efforts to apprehend Afghan traffickers and their local facilitators had been formally acknowledged by Sri Lankan authorities and the US DEA.
