SWAT: A police constable was martyred and three others were injured during an intelligence-based operation against a wanted drug smuggler in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district on Friday.
According to Moin Ali, spokesperson for Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Nasir Mehmood, police launched the raid in the mountainous Fizagat area targeting Ahmadzeb, a notorious drug trafficker and the prime suspect in the murder of Station House Officer (SHO) Rahim Khan. SHO Rahim was gunned down in December 2024 during an encounter with drug smugglers in Mingora city.
Ali said the police team came under heavy fire as soon as they reached the suspect’s hideout. Constable Niaz Muhammad was martyred in the exchange, while Additional Sub-Inspector (ASI) Amjad Iqbal, Constable Muhammad Hussain, and Constable Sarfaraz sustained injuries.
Despite the resistance, security forces managed to neutralize Ahmadzeb, who was wanted for multiple crimes, including the murder of SHO Rahim Khan. “Additional units were deployed to secure the area, and the operation lasted nearly four hours,” said Mingora SHO Mujeeb Alam. He added that police thoroughly searched the four-storey building and collected evidence from the scene.
The injured officers were shifted to Saidu Sharif Hospital, where doctors confirmed they were in stable condition.
Police sources confirmed that investigations are ongoing, with efforts underway to dismantle the remaining network of drug smugglers operating in the region.
This operation follows a series of crackdowns against narcotics trafficking across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier this month, a court in Peshawar sentenced two excise police officials to life imprisonment for drug smuggling, while major drug seizures were reported in Faisalabad and Dera Ismail Khan.
