LAHORE: The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), Lahore, claims to have busted an international drug trafficking ring allegedly involved in supplying narcotics to elite-class youngsters across Punjab and smuggling the contraband abroad. CIA officials, claiming recovery of the “largest-ever quantity of cocaine,” say the arrested ringleader and the gang’s key members have dual nationalities. Talking to media persons here on Wednesday, Lahore CIA DIG Imran Kishwar said the network was “very desperate, dangerous, and well-connected.”
He said a CIA team headed by SP Furgan Bilal unearthed “the biggest drug supply gang in the history of Punjab” using modern information technology.
The suspects had named the network as the “Speedy Gang,” the DIG said.
Of the arrested suspects, Qamar Muzafar held Italian nationality, Amir Cheema alias “Billa Spanish” and Immad Butt alias “Speedy” were UK nationals, while the others were identified as Rizwan Hussain, Malik Waqas, Fahim Razzaq, etc.
Mr. Kishwar said the gang would procure drug supplies from Italy, Spain, Holland, and Belgium and provide them to youngsters belonging to well-to-do families, students of universities, colleges, and other educational institutions across Punjab.
He said the gang was also involved in smuggling drugs to Iran, adding that Cheema was wanted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in four drug trafficking cases.
The DIG said the CIA teams worked extensively on the network’s local handlers for a few months to ensure their arrest, as they were not only well-connected but also highly dangerous.
“After obtaining reliable intelligence-based information and making foolproof preparations, the CIA carried out raids on the hideouts of the gang members in posh localities of the provincial capital,” he said.
The police arrested the suspects from Bahria Town, Cantt, Barki, and Bedian Road of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).
He said the CIA police recovered 4.5 kg of cocaine, 25,000 (10 kg) ecstasy pills, and 7 kg of heroin from the traffickers, surpassing the previous record for maximum recovery of cocaine in Punjab in one go.
The cost of 1 kg of cocaine in the drug market was said to be Rs30.5 million, Mr. Kishwar said, adding that more revelations were expected as the CIA teams further expanded the scope of the investigation to round up many other drug suppliers.
Published in Dawn News on 11th July 2024.
