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MIRPUR (AJK), Apr 29 (APP):The Mirpur AJK police arrested 10 alleged drug peddlers, including the ring leader, allegedly belonging to a United Kingdom-based international drug traffickers gang Raja Arshad Mahmood, alias Arshad Billoo, a local lad, by unearthing the network of international drug/narcotics smugglers.
The police recovered and seized a total of over 4 kg of in different cases, besides unearthing and sealing a private currency exchange in Mirpur allegedly annexed to the busted band of the drug traffickers and money launderers, more than 10 million of local and foreign currencies, huge cache of illicit weapons, more than 77 account registers and other important documents, besides impounding 5 highly valuable vehicles allegedly used by the accused.
This was disclosed by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mirpur Khawar Ali Shaukat while addressing a crowded press conference here. The district police chief was flanked by Additional SP Raja Aamir Nawabi, DSP Headquarters Ch. Ansar Ali, DSP Sikander Azam, SHO, Sub Inspector Ch. Arshad Mahmood and other investigative police officers.
Unveiling the details of unearthing the most wanted international drug traffickers-cum smugglers gang, the SSP Khawar Shoukat Ali said that the arrested ring leader Raja Arshad alias Arshad Billo had been running an international drug network in Mirpur since 2015, who allegedly used to smuggle heroin parcels and other means from KPK, Azad Jammu Kashmir and Islamabad to the United Kingdom.
Arshad Billoo was booked in the UK in 2013 for heroin smuggling, along with his accomplice Qaiser, who was later sentenced to 7 years in prison by a British court. A few months after his arrest, Arshad Billoo was released on bail in the UK and then fled to Pakistan.
The SSP added that in 2015, Arshad Billoo formed a drug smuggling network comprising the accused Raja Faisal, Azeem, Nadeem, Hassan Rauf and others who allegedly started smuggling heroin to the UK. These accused were arrested in Mirpur for smuggling heroin to the UK through couriers and several cases had been registered against them in different police stations of Mirpur, he added.
The SSP said that the Mirpur police started working to round up this network of drug traffickers cum smugglers of narcotics in September 2024 and started secret surveillance on the close associates of the ringleader of this network, Arshad Billoo. In November 2024, heroin was recovered from the accused Junaid and Waqar at the entry point Dhangalli in Dadial sub-division of Mirpur AJK, he added.
“During the investigation, the accused revealed that they were part of Arshad Billoo’s international drug network and that the confiscated contraband ( heroin ) was smuggled by Arshad Billoo and his accomplice Ehtesham Raja, a resident of Birtla, to the UK”, the SSP said, adding the accused further stated that earlier, on the instructions of Arshad Billoo and Azhar Abbas, heroin was smuggled from KPK and Rawalpindi to Islamabad several times and delivered to different places.
The SSP said that police teams were formed in collaboration with sensitive agencies to monitor the organized network and arrest other accused, the accomplices of the netted drift peddlers.
Meanwhile, in April 2025, the Dadiyal police station recovered heroin from the possession of the accused, according to the district police chief.
Ammar, a resident of Sarsawa Kotli, revealed that this heroin belonged to Arshad Billoo and Ehtesham, which he was supposed to deliver to Islamabad.
During the investigation, the accused said that even before this, he, along with Ehtesham, had been delivering and parceling heroin to the Islamabad DHL office, Mirpur and other places.
The police raided the premises of the accused in different parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and various adjoining parts of the country, to arrest Raja Arshad Billoo and Ehtesham. The alleged principal accused of this international drug network, Arshad Billoo was arrested in Mirpur.
An in-depth probe of the bank records of the accused Arshad Billoo revealed that more than Rs 60 million was deposited in a private bank account. The investigation team has contacted the relevant bank for records of more than 100 suspicious bank transactions.
The SSP said the police seized millions of rupees in local and foreign currency from Neelum Currency, an alleged key member of the drug peddlers network, Khan Waheed, while raiding the house of accused Tauqir and recovered drug money worth Rs 2.5 million and other local and foreign currency.
“The illegal weapons recovered from the possession of accused Tauqir included a 222 bore rifle, a 12 bore repeater pump action, two 44 bore rifles, an 8mm rifle, three 30 bore pistols, a 22 bore pistol, a 9mm pistol, a 30 bore maser, a dagger, 16 magazines and bullets, 10 mobile phones, a lap tape, a tab and other equipment and important documents. In addition, more than 77 account registers and 5 vehicles used by the accused were also seized, Khawer Ali Shoukat added.