LANDIKOTAL: Police in Khyber district have busted a network involved in preparing fake documents to facilitate illegal border crossings and arrested six persons during a major crackdown in Landikotal, police officials said on Tuesday.
The officials said that acting on special directives of District Police Officer Waqar Ahmed, Station House Officer (SHO), Landikotal Police Station, Ishrat Shinwari intensified checking at key points, including the Afghan transit camp and Torkham border.
During the operation, they said, the police uncovered a group allegedly involved in producing fake manifest copies and illegally sending Afghan nationals and Pakistani citizens across the border into Afghanistan in exchange for money. The accusead were arrested along with several undocumented individuals.
Police also recovered Rs132,000 from the possession of the suspects, the officials said, adding that those arrested were identified as Saleem, a resident of Landikotal currently residing in Peshawar; Syed Muhammad Shah, a resident of Quetta; Sher Zaman and Abdullah, both residents of Afghanistan; Zakir, a resident of Khugakhel; and Ayan, a resident of Pirokhel in Landikotal.
The officials said that a case has been registered against the accused, and further investigation is underway.
SHO Ishrat Shinwari said that indiscriminate action against those involved in illegal activities and human smuggling would continue. Efforts were underway to arrest other human smugglers linked to the network, he said, and warned that anyone taking the law into their own hands would be dealt with firmly. He urged the public to cooperate with police by identifying such elements to help eliminate crime from society.
