ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) intercepted a female passenger at Islamabad International Airport on Wednesday and seized a bag stuffed with 4.5 kilograms of cocaine, following which a suspect waiting to receive the drug consignment was also arrested.
The breakthrough was the direct result of an intelligence-based joint venture between Pakistan and Qatar, a partnership strengthened following the GCC Conference on Counter Narcotics held in Islamabad in April, 2025.
According to the ANF, the female passenger, identified as Sehrish Bano, was intercepted upon her arrival from Sharjah via Doha. A meticulous search of her hand-carried trolley bag yielded in the recovery of 4.482 kg of high value cocaine.
Initial interrogation of the suspect led to a rapid follow-up operation just outside the terminal, wherein her handler named as Amir Asad Ullah, who was waiting in the arrival area to receive the illicit cargo, was arrested, and a vehicle meant for transporting the narcotics was also impounded.
During initial investigation, the female passenger revealed that the drug-stuffed bag was handed to her during transit at Hamad International Airport in Doha by a Nigerian national, as per the instructions from their handlers based in the UAE.
This sequence highlights the complex methods employed by trafficking syndicates, which frequently exploit women to smuggle drugs to deflect suspicion at international borders.
