KARACHI: Police claimed to have recovered a huge quantity of methamphetamine or crystal meth — informally called ice — and arrested eight suspects in an intelligence-based raid on a warehouse in Mehran Town in Korangi, on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference, DIG-West Irfan Ali Baloch, who is head of the Police Task Force on Narcotics in Karachi, said the held suspects were running an “international narcotics nexus” and transporting drugs from Pakistan to Thailand and Malaysia in bulk quantities.

He said the recovered 50kg ice was valued at 80-90 crores rupees.

He revealed that the consignment was intercepted before it could be exported and it could weigh around 200-250kg as more drugs were expected to come from Balochistan to Karachi.

Recover large cache of methamphetamine, informally known as ice, in Korangi warehouse raid

He said acting on credible information, the task force in coordination with an intelligence agency established that narcotics were being concealed within crates of tiles and marble at a warehouse in Mehran Town for export to the Philippines under cover of a legitimate consignment.

“A covert operation was mounted against an international network trafficking methamphetamine (ice) to Malaysia and the Philippines.”

The suspects were planning a major consignment of drugs for export in a container declared as tiles.

Sharing information about trafficking routes and linkages, the DIG Mr Baloch said export routes were Karachi-Philippines (present consignment) which had overseas handlers in South Africa and Thailand whose linkages established into Karachi. Ice was sourced/supplied from Chaman in Balochistan and Hawala routed through Lahore, he added.

Regarding the role of eight held suspects, DIG Irfan Baloch said Nazir Soomro is main accused who directed procurement, concealment and export of the drugs, other held suspect Shahid Mastoi arranged and maintained the Mehran Town warehouse used for concealment, Sheikh Khalid provided storage for the narcotics and banking channels for local transactions, Dr Noor Ahmed Khilji, an Afghan holding Pakistani CNIC, arranged the Balochistan supply, Garan Khan also an Afghan-origin, holding Pakistani CNIC, arranged the Balochistan supply, Abdullah alias Wahab is a courier, Mohammed Kamran also courier is a police constable posted in Malir and Nasir worked as intermediary/distributor who facilitated transactions involving Dr Noor.

The DIG said this showed an ‘organised network’ with domestic and international linkages across procurement, financing, concealment and attempted export. Furthermore, concealment within commercial marble consignment indicated “deliberate exploitation of legitimate trade channels”.

“Overseas handlers, suppliers, financial facilitators, godown operators and clearing agents indicated a structured supply chain not an isolated attempt,” believed the senior officer.

He apprehended that had the consignment reached its destination, it would have caused reputational damage to Pakistan internationally.

Tracing foreign linkages

The DIG Baloch said the task force on narcotics which also included the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) was further investigating the held suspects to establish the full network and identify further facilitators and beneficiaries and trace the complete financial trail including the crypto currency and accounts used locally.

Besides, the task force was also verifying the identities and roles of the foreign handlers in Malaysia, Thailand and South Africa in coordination with other law enforcement, customs and international counterparts to trace foreign linkages.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2026