Over two dozen Afghans held for ‘illegal entry’
GWADAR/QUETTA: Balochistan police arrested 29 Afghan nationals trying to illegally enter Pakistan on their way to Iran and eventually Europe, while a wider provincial crackdown netted hundreds of suspects and a large cache of weapons, officials said on Friday.
A police team led by senior officer Abdul Ghaffar Dashti intercepted a vehicle carrying the group, which included women and children, near a checkpoint following a tip regarding the movement of Afghan nationals.
Police took the 29 individuals into custody in the port city area of Gwadar. Officials said the group was attempting to use an infrequent route to cross the border.
The driver was arrested and the vehicle impounded. “These Afghan nationals were going to Iran without having required legal documents,” officials said, adding that the group intended to travel through Iran to reach European countries.
Authorities handed the detainees over to the Federal Investigation Agency for further inquiry. Security forces noted that approximately 100 Afghan nationals have been arrested in the Makran region over the last two months.
Wider police sweeps in Balochistan net suicide vest, arms, tons of drugs; 173 suspects detained
Separately, police across Balochistan province reported arresting 173 suspects and recovering a vast array of stolen property and armaments during targeted operations ordered by Inspector General Muhammad Tahir.
During these provincial sweeps targeting criminals, robbers and snatchers, authorities seized a suicide jacket, 33.03 kilogrammes of explosives and 59 hand grenades. The weapons seizure also included 153 pistols and revolvers, 20 Kalashnikovs, 10 shotguns, 119 magazines and 1,397 rounds of ammunition.
Police also recovered 12 stolen vehicles, 42 motorcycles, 17 mobile phones and various other items. Cash totalling Rs632,500 and 35 tolas of gold were also retrieved, while officers removed illegal black tint from 2,782 vehicles.
In crackdown efforts targeting narcotics traffickers, police arrested 230 suspects. Authorities confiscated 2,845.24kg of hashish, roughly 2.4kg of crystal meth, 114 grams of heroin, 15.74kg of opium, 60 grams of morphine, 1,132 bottles of liquor and 564 beer cans.
Law enforcement agencies also arrested 472 proclaimed offenders and absconders, detained 673 individuals in connection with various criminal cases and rescued nine kidnapped persons.Officials said operations are ongoing in Quetta and seven other police ranges to ensure public safety.
Police are currently conducting background verification of arrested suspects and coordinating with law enforcement in other provinces to check for criminal records elsewhere.
Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2026
