Pakistan drug force seizes huge Afghan opium haul
( 2003-10-22 21:13) (Reuters)
Pakistan's anti-drug force has seized over 1,000 kgs (2,200 lbs) of opium
smuggled in from Afghanistan and worth more than $6 million on the international
market.
An officer of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) said the seizure was made on Tuesday
in Chagai district bordering Afghanistan, some 300 km (185 miles) west of
provincial capital Quetta.
"The consignment was destined for the Gawadar coastal region for onward
smuggling to the Middle East," said the ANF officer in Baluchistan, which
borders Afghanistan and Iran.
He said the opium had an estimated wholesale value of@than $6 million if sold
outside Pakistan.
The officer said smugglers exchanged fire with ANF personnel but fled,
leaving their vehicle in the desert.
Pakistani narcotics officials say the country is transit route for about a
quarter of the 3,400 tonnes of opium produced in Afghanistan each year. Most
ends up refined into heroin and sold in Europe.
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