According to a spokesperson for the US Embassy, the operation was conducted on August 30. The Trump administration has identified combating the illicit movement of drugs as a key priority in efforts to make the United States safer.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Islamabad office assisted Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in the seizure. The operation also involved support from Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau and the DEA office in New Delhi.
Between August 14 and 29, the ANF’s Karachi Port Control Unit suspected that containers loaded for shipment from Pakistan to Colombo, Sri Lanka, contained illicit drugs manufactured in Afghanistan.
Following timely information from the ANF, the DEA coordinated with authorities in the relevant countries, leading to the seizure of the drugs. Several suspects, including Pakistani nationals, were also arrested during the operation.
The US government has continued to support the ANF through training and capacity-building initiatives. The US Embassy said Washington considers Pakistan an important partner in efforts to prevent the movement of illicit drugs.
The United States also reaffirmed its commitment to working with Pakistan to disrupt transnational criminal networks and reduce the risks posed by illegal drugs to American citizens.