The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) arrested nine members of a smuggler family at Islamabad International Airport, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.

According to the ANF spokesperson, the accused including three women were going to Bahrain through a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight.

The accused during interrogation confessed to carrying drug-filled capsules in their bellies.

They were shifted to the hospital where the capsules were recovered.

A total of 575 heroin-filled capsules and 159 ice-filled capsules were recovered from the accused.

3.46 kg of heroin and 788 grams of ice were recovered from the capsules.

The accused were from Peshawar, Mardan and Charsadda.

In a second operation, the ANF arrested a person carrying drug-filled capsules in his belly and his facilitator at Jinnah Airport, Karachi.

The ANF team recovered 91 heroin-filled capsules from the belly of the accused. The total weight of the heroin was 1.17 kg.

The ANF team also arrested the facilitator of the accused on his identification.

“Both the accused belong to a gang that smuggles drugs to foreign countries,” the ANF spokesperson said.

“The accused are the residents of Lahore. They were leaving for China through a private airlines flight,” he added.

“Cases have been registered against the accused under the Anti-Narcotics Act and investigations have been launched,” he stated.

Reporter: Irshad Qureshi