LAHORE: The Crime Control Department (CCD) on Tuesday claimed that five suspected drug traffickers were killed in two separate encounters in Lahore after being fired upon by their own accomplices during recovery operations.
Read More: 11 drug dealers killed in CCD encounters across Punjab
According to police, four suspects were killed in an encounter in the Iqbal Town area when a CCD team was escorting them for the recovery of narcotics. The suspects were identified as Ashiq, Azeem, Khurram and Aslam.
A police official said unidentified armed men attacked the CCD team in an attempt to free the suspects and opened indiscriminate fire. The police returned fire in self-defence, resulting in a brief shoot-out.
After the firing subsided, the four suspects were found dead, allegedly hit by bullets fired by their own accomplices. Their bodies were shifted to the city morgue for post-mortem examination, while a case was registered against the unidentified attackers.
In a separate incident in the Chuhng area, another suspected drug dealer, identified as Javed, was killed under similar circumstances. Police said armed accomplices opened fire when CCD officials were taking the suspect for narcotics recovery.
During the exchange of fire, Javed suffered fatal bullet injuries and died on the spot. The attackers managed to flee, and a case was registered against them.
Meanwhile, Punjab Police claimed to have arrested 30 drug dealers across the province during the past 24 hours as part of an ongoing anti-narcotics crackdown. Officials said 39kg of charas, nine kilograms of heroin and one kilogram of ice were recovered during the operations.
Police data showed that over the past three months, 1,444 drug dealers have been arrested, with 1,771 cases registered and large quantities of narcotics seized.
Read More: Three killed in CCD encounters in Lahore and Faisalabad
Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar directed police to intensify action against major drug dealers and smugglers, particularly those operating near educational institutions and hostels, to protect youth from drug abuse.