LAHORE: Pakistan's Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Wednesday said it has unearthed a cross-border drug smuggling network to India via drones which is being operated by the Lahore police anti-narcotics wing head.
Last week, the Pakistan Rangers claimed to have arrested six Indian nationals inside Pakistani territory for allegedly trying to smuggle narcotics, weapons and ammunition into Pakistan.
Four of these alleged smugglers belong to India's Firozpur, namely Gurmeet Singh, Shinder Singh, Juginder Singh, and Vishal Jagga.
Rattan Pal Singh belongs to Jalandhar and Garvender Singh belongs to Ludhiana.
According to the Punjab police, Lahore police anti-narcotics wing head Mazhar Iqbal is accused of smuggling drugs, especially heroin, to India via drones.
Iqbal has made billions of rupees through smuggling and action against him has been initiated in the light of statements of the Indian smugglers arrested recently, senior police officials said.
"An FIR has been registered against Lahore police anti-narcotics wing head Mazhar Iqbal for his alleged involvement in 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 told Dawn.
"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 the drug," he said.
According to the initial investigation, Iqbal and his network would smuggle drugs from Kasur to India through drones.
"The investigation reveals that Mazhar Iqbal is involved in transporting over 30kg of heroin to India through drones. He used to receive payment for his services in Dubai," a senior officer of Punjab police told PTI Wednesday.
He said Iqbal has made billions of rupees in assets.
"Besides, he has a fleet of luxurious cars and lives in a four-kanal house in posh Defence Housing Authority Lahore. He is also fond of collecting weapons from different countries, especially the US," the officer said.
He added some top police officers knew Iqbal had been involved in cross-border smuggling for years but he managed to grease their palms to get away from his crime.
"After the arrest of six Indian nationals, the matter was discussed at the highest level after which action was initiated against Iqbal," the officer said.
Police said that a drone could carry up to six kilograms of drugs, which would be delivered at a given location in Indian Punjab after flying across the border.
It is expected that police might arrest other members of the network in Lahore.
