LAHORE, Aug 29: The Punjab Anti-Narcotics Force claimed on Friday that it had arrested 10 members of an international gang of drug-peddlers, including a British and a Danish national, and recovered 6kg of heroin from their possession.

Speaking at a press conference, ANF commander Brig Ishfaqur Rashid claimed that it was the most successful case in the history of ANF. He said the recovered heroin was of the finest quality and worth millions of rupees.

He said the gang had been active in and outside the country since 1985. Acting on a tip-off, he said, a team of ANF observed the activities of “ringleader” Shahid Mahmood for a month. Shahid lived in one of the Askari Housing apartments in Gulberg.

He said the ANF team on Aug 17 raided the apartment of Shahid and arrested him along with his accomplices British national Jehangir Chaudhry and Islam Ahmed with 3kg of heroin in their possession.

Another four alleged members of the gang, Haji Nasim Khan, Saadullah Khan Afridi, Nighat Zulfiqar and Rukhsana Altaf alias Mona, were arrested on the Ravi Bridge near Shahdara “with 3kg heroin in their possession”.

Three alleged members of the gang, Danish national Raja Riaz, Imdad Husain alias Sohail Baig and Mohammad Shakeel, who was said to be an internationally active drug-packer, were arrested on the information provided by the ringleader.

The commander said that Haji Nasim was one of the most notorious drug-pushers while Raja Riaz had been convicted in several drug cases in Denmark, Egypt, England and Belgium. Saadullah Khan allegedly used to bring heroin from Afghanistan.

During interrogation, Shahid Mahmood also revealed that he had smuggled a number of drug consignments abroad with the connivance of government officials at airports and employees of some international shipping companies.

Ishfaqur Rashid said that the government officials involved in the crime would also be arrested.

Giving details about the gang’s functioning, Ishfaqur Rashid said the gang used to pack heroin in specially built boxes and paid Rs60,000 for a packing.

He said the gang used to bring heroin from Afghanistan and smuggled it to Europe and the Middle East. He said the accused had disclosed the names of their accomplices in Australia, Canada, Bangkok, England and the US. The ANF would seek the help of Pakistani consulate in these countries to detect these people.