ISLAMABAD – A routine check of suspicious containers at Karachi’s port turned into major international drug bust. After Pakistani authorities flagged shipment bound for Colombo, intelligence-sharing between Pakistan, US and Sri Lanka helped uncover 463kg of crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $21 million, with the drugs suspected to have originated in Afghanistan.
The seizure, made on August 30, followed series of intelligence-led actions that began when Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) flagged suspicious shipping containers at Karachi’s port. The consignment, suspected to contain narcotics originating in Afghanistan, was destined for Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The operation shows how intelligence-sharing and coordinated action across borders can help intercept major drug shipments before they reach their intended destinations.
The investigation began between August 14 and 29, when the ANF’s Karachi-based Port Control Unit identified containers scheduled for shipment to Colombo that raised suspicions of narcotics smuggling.
Recognising potential scale of the shipment, ANF alerted the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Islamabad office (DEA Islamabad), setting off a coordinated response involving law enforcement agencies in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India. The operation brought together the ANF, DEA Islamabad, the DEA’s New Delhi office and Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau, culminating in the seizure of the massive methamphetamine consignment on August 30.
Several suspects were arrested in connection with the case, including Pakistani nationals, according to the US Embassy in Islamabad.
US Embassy credited sustained cooperation between Washington and Islamabad as an important element in strengthening Pakistan’s ability to intercept illicit drug shipments. Through foreign assistance and ongoing training, the United States has supported the ANF’s operational capacity, enabling it to play a key role in regional and international counternarcotics efforts.
Trump administration made combating illicit narcotics trafficking a central component of its national security agenda, with the latest seizure illustrating the importance of international partnerships in pursuing that objective.
Reaffirming its commitment to working with Pakistan, the United States said it would continue cooperating with Islamabad to dismantle transnational criminal organisations and protect American citizens from the dangers of narcotics trafficking.
