Lahore Police’s anti-narcotics chief heads gang smuggling medication into India

Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) busted a large community smuggling medication to India and with it discovered an underworld don in uniform. The drug-smuggling community was being operated by none aside from the top of Lahore Police’s anti-narcotics wing, Mazhar Iqbal.

The community, headed by Mazhar Iqbal, used to smuggle medication, particularly heroin, to India utilizing drones, authorities instructed Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper.

Iqbal, a former deputy superintendent of police, was heading the Anti-Narcotics Investigation Unit of Lahore Police when the ANF unearthed the drug-smuggling racket.

Since 1994, Iqbal has been dismissed from service six instances and suspended 45 instances for his involvement in unlawful actions. Most of the circumstances towards him are associated to drug trafficking. What is astounding is that Iqbal was given the important thing put up of anti-narcotics division of Lahore Police regardless of such a doubtful observe file.

According to senior police officers in Pakistan, Mazhar Iqbal has amassed substantial wealth by these unlawful actions.

The announcement of the community being busted was made by Pakistani Rangers final week. The Rangers claimed to have arrested six Indians inside Pakistani territory for allegedly attempting to smuggle “narcotics, weapons and ammunition”.

Four of the arrested smugglers — Gurmeet Singh, Shinder Singh, Juginder Singh, and Vishal Jagga — are from Firozpur in Punjab. While Rattan Pal Singh and Garvender Singh are from Jalandhar and Ludhiana, respectively.

ACTION AGAINST MAZHAR IQBAL

Action towards Mazhar Iqbal was initiated after the interrogation of the arrested Indians, officers mentioned. However, authorities weren’t in a position to arrest him as he had secured a pre-arrest bail.

“An FIR has been registered against Lahore Police anti-narcotics wing head Mazhar Iqbal for his alleged involvement in the cross-border (India) smuggling of drugs through drones. We could not arrest him as he has secured a pre-arrest bail,” Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Investigation) Imran Kishwar instructed Dawn. The police case towards Mazhar Iqbal was registered within the final week of August.

“We have constituted a high-powered committee of senior police officers to further expand the scope of the investigation into the illegal cross-border smuggling of drugs,” he mentioned.

Initial investigations counsel that Iqbal and his community facilitated drug transportation from the Pakistani metropolis of Kasur to India utilizing drones. The investigation reveals that Mazhar Iqbal was concerned in transporting over 30kg of heroin to India by drones and he used to obtain cost for his providers in Dubai.

The ANF additionally instructed Dawn that the ex-police officer had recovered 35kg of medicine and three vehicles from the residence of drug smuggler Ahmad, however launched him after lodging a case of 450 grams of medicine solely. Mazhar has reportedly been by the ANF for allegedly taking Rs 75 million from the drug smuggler.

MAZHAR IQBAL’S WEALTH

Mazhar Iqbal has reportedly amassed billions of rupees in property. According to Dawn, he additionally has a fleet of luxurious vehicles and lives in a four-kanal home in posh Defence Housing Authority Lahore. He can be keen on amassing weapons from totally different nations, particularly the US.

Many senior officers had been conscious of Mazhar Iqbal’s long-standing involvement in cross-border terrorism, however he allegedly used monetary incentives to safe their complicity. He additionally loved the backing of some key political figures in Pakistan.

THE DRUG NETWORK

According to the police investigation, a drone utilized by Mazhar Iqbal’s community would carry as much as 6 kg of medicine and ship the consignment in Punjab after flying throughout the border.

Pakistan Police mentioned it was hopeful of searching down different members of Iqbal’s community in Lahore.

Published On:

Sep 13, 2023