463kg of Afghan-Origin Meth Seized in US-Pakistan Operation

US and Pakistani law enforcement agencies have jointly seized about 463 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, valued at $21 million, according to a statement released by the US Embassy in Islamabad on Monday.

The embassy reported that the operation took place on August 30, with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in Islamabad coordinating alongside Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). The effort also involved Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau and the DEA’s office in New Delhi.

Details provided by the embassy stated that between August 14 and 29, ANF’s Port Control Unit in Karachi identified containers bound from Pakistan to Colombo. These containers were suspected to be carrying illicit drugs originating in Afghanistan.

After this identification, ANF alerted DEA Islamabad, which then worked with authorities in all involved countries to seize the narcotics. Several suspects, including individuals of Pakistani origin, were taken into custody.

According to the statement, the US government has supported the ANF through foreign assistance and training to enhance its capabilities in counter-narcotics efforts.

The embassy added that the United States remains committed to cooperating with Pakistan to dismantle transnational criminal organisations and combat narcotrafficking.