LAHORE:
At least eight suspected drug traffickers were killed in a series of alleged police encounters reported in the Gujranwala region over the past 24 hours, as the Crime Control Department (CCD) said it had intensified its province-wide crackdown on narcotics networks.
The reported encounters in Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Sialkot followed the CCD’s announcement two days before of an aggressive campaign against drug trafficking and organized criminal groups. Police claimed the dead were linked to the sale and distribution of crystal methamphetamine (ice) and had been under surveillance after intelligence suggested expanding local supply routes and distribution points.
A CCD spokesperson said the operation had been expanded across Punjab, adding that individuals involved in narcotics trafficking “would not be allowed to escape the control of the law”. The official stated that the campaign will continue “without interruption” in the coming days.
In Sheikhupura, CCD teams carried out an operation against what officials described as a long-standing and “deeply entrenched” drug trafficking network operating in Ghazi Kakka, Pakhiala. Police officials described the town as having “effectively become a no-go zone”, allegedly housing major suppliers.
According to investigators, the network operated from rented properties in housing societies along GT Road, Rana Town and nearby areas, using the sites as storage points before supplying narcotics to Lahore and adjoining districts.
Officials claimed that motorcycles stolen in Lahore were routinely exchanged for drugs and that the group also used women as couriers for transportation.
Senior CCD officials said multiple previous attempts to attack the “effectively prohibited zone” had failed due to information leaks. “Their daily earnings ran into millions of rupees,” an official said, alleging that beneficiaries within the system had repeatedly undermined previous efforts.
The teams led by DSPs Raees Khan and Muhammad Ali Butt, along with DSPs Hussnain Haider, Farooq Asghar Awan and Mehdi Kazmi, advanced towards the area from various entry points under the supervision of SP Aftab Phulrwan.
An intense exchange of fire continued for several hours. An alleged drug dealer died, allegedly hit by bullets fired by his associates, while the remaining suspects fled, according to police accounts.
DSP Raees Khan was injured when a door frame collapsed on him, while DSP Muhammad Ali suffered a leg injury. Both officials were declared out of danger.
Following the standoff, CCD brought in earth-moving machinery and demolished nearly 10 homes that the department said had been used for the storage of narcotics and related criminal activities.
While the CCD did not release consolidated casualty figures in the province, some reports suggested that more than dozens of suspected drug traffickers may have been killed in various operations since the crackdown began. However, officials said the verified details would be shared once documentation from all districts was compiled.
