PESHAWAR: A special court has found an accused guilty of smuggling narcotics abroad in 2022 and sentenced him to life imprisonment with fine of Rs500,000.

The judge special court (control of narcotics substance), Hayat Gul Mohmand, pronounced that the prosecution had proved its case against the accused, Mohammad Hamid Khairul Bashar, a resident of Karachi, and the evidence on record connected him with the commission of the offence.

The court ordered that in default of payment of the fine the convict will further undergo imprisonment for six months.

The court extended him benefit of section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure under which the period of his detention prior to his conviction would be counted in his prison term.

A special prosecutor of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Irfanur Rehman, stated that the accused was arrested at Bacha Khan International Airport, Peshawar, when he was boarding an international flight.

He stated that personnel of ANF had recovered 13 kgs of heroin concealed in his luggage. He stated that the FIR of the occurrence was registered at ANF Police Station, Peshawar, under section 9 (D) of the Control of Narcotics Substance Act.

The prosecutor argued that the accused was caught red-handed and the contraband was recovered from his possession. — Bureau Report