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- Twenty Nigerians have been arrested in Pakistan over their alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking network operating in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The operation led to the recovery of 4.432 kilogrammes of cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabis, according to Pakistani authorities.
The arrests were announced on Wednesday by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), which cited a statement from the country’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). The agency said the suspects were apprehended during coordinated intelligence-based operations carried out at several locations across the two cities.
The ANF disclosed that the recovered substances included 1.682 kilogrammes of cocaine, two kilogrammes of methamphetamine, commonly known as Ice, and 750 grammes of cannabis. The operations followed intelligence reports linking the suspects to an organised network allegedly involved in the smuggling, distribution and sale of illegal drugs.
According to the agency, the network was suspected of distributing narcotics among young people, particularly students attending educational institutions in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The ANF said it had been tracking the group’s activities through sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance before launching the coordinated raids.
The agency further revealed that preliminary investigations showed that two of the arrested Nigerians were already on bail in connection with an earlier narcotics-related case. However, the statement did not disclose the identities of the suspects or provide further details about the previous case.
The ANF described the arrests as a major breakthrough in its nationwide campaign against drug trafficking. It also said the operations were part of ongoing efforts to dismantle organised networks involved in the distribution of illegal substances across the country.
The latest arrests come amid other drug-related cases involving Nigerian nationals in India. In October, Indian authorities arrested four Nigerians and a Thai national during separate operations in Haryana State, recovering 54.76 grammes of MDMA and 8.90 grammes of cocaine. The raids were conducted by the Gurgaon and Faridabad units of the Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau.
In August, four other Nigerians were arrested in India over alleged drug trafficking in Delhi, Gurugram and Khanpur. Three Nigerians were also among four suspects arrested in July over alleged drug peddling, with more than 10 kilogrammes of MDMA crystals and hydroponic cannabis reportedly recovered during the operation.
