ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), working in collaboration with Qatari authorities, intercepted and seized 4.48 kilograms of cocaine at Islamabad International Airport, resulting in the arrest of two individuals during a joint intelligence-driven operation.
According to an ANF spokesperson, this operation was a result of strengthened cooperation established during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Conference on Counter Narcotics held in Islamabad in April 2025.
Acting on shared intelligence, ANF officials stopped a Pakistani woman named Sehrish Bano, who was traveling from Sharjah to Islamabad via Doha. Upon searching her hand luggage, authorities discovered 4.482 kg of cocaine concealed in a manner designed to evade detection.
During questioning, Bano disclosed that her handler, who was waiting outside the airport’s arrivals area, had handed her the drugs. The investigation team quickly carried out a follow-up operation and apprehended the handler, identified as Amir Asad Ullah, along with his vehicle.
Officials explained that the narcotics had been transferred to Bano during her transit at Hamad International Airport in Doha by a Nigerian national working under the instructions of handlers based in the United Arab Emirates.
The suspects, along with the confiscated narcotics and vehicle, are now in ANF custody. Coordinated inquiries are ongoing in both Pakistan and Qatar, the ANF spokesperson added.
He highlighted that the case illustrates the increasing trend of trafficking networks using women as couriers to avoid detection. The case also emphasizes the importance of international intelligence sharing in combating cross-border drug smuggling.
The ANF reaffirmed its commitment to remain vigilant and to dismantle drug trafficking networks through robust cooperation at both national and international levels.
