Lahore Police Uncover 'Pinky-Style' Drug Network Linked to Islamabad
LAHORE: Police sources say investigators have uncovered an alleged intercity drug-distribution network supplying weed and crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, from Islamabad to Lahore. The development emerged during investigations into previously registered narcotics cases, in which suspects reportedly provided information about a supplier believed to be operating across provincial and city boundaries.
According to police records cited in the report, investigators have identified a man named Ahmed, also known as Pir Lala Khan, as a major suspected supplier of weed and ice. Police sources say he is based in Islamabad's E-11 sector and is allegedly involved in arranging narcotics deliveries to Lahore. The allegations remain under investigation, and the reported suspect has not been arrested.
Investigators say the suspected network has a significant presence in Lahore's Model Town and Cantonment divisions. Police information links the alleged distribution operation to upscale areas including Defence, Gulberg, Model Town, Garden Town and Cantt, where narcotics are said to have been supplied to customers. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the number of buyers, the volume of drugs involved or the financial value of the alleged operation.
Police sources further claim that drug suppliers have divided territories not only by neighbourhood but also by city, allowing separate operators to manage distribution in specific markets. Investigators compared the alleged arrangement with the network previously associated with Anmol alias Pinky, whose case drew widespread attention after police investigations indicated links between drug distribution activities in Lahore and Karachi.
The earlier Pinky investigation had already highlighted concerns over narcotics networks operating beyond a single city. Karachi police said during that case that investigators were examining contacts and alleged facilitators in other parts of Pakistan, including Lahore. The latest Lahore investigation now points to a suspected supply route working in the opposite direction, with drugs allegedly moving from Islamabad into Punjab's provincial capital.
A major issue identified by police sources is coordination between law-enforcement agencies in Islamabad and Lahore. They said shortcomings in communication between the two cities' police forces have contributed to delays in apprehending the suspected supplier. The Crime Control Department and the police investigation wing have also been unable to locate and arrest him so far, according to the report.
The case carries broader implications for narcotics enforcement in Pakistan because it suggests that urban drug markets may be supported by organised networks operating across jurisdictional boundaries. Such cases require investigators to combine information from registered cases, suspects' statements, police records and intercity intelligence rather than treating drug sales as isolated local offences. The reported concentration of supply in densely populated and affluent parts of Lahore also places additional pressure on authorities to identify distributors and customers while building evidence that can withstand legal scrutiny.
Police sources say the investigation into the network remains active. The immediate next steps are expected to include efforts to locate the alleged supplier, identify other people connected to the distribution chain and improve coordination between Islamabad and Lahore authorities. Until arrests are made and evidence is tested through the legal process, the claims concerning the named suspect and the scale of the network remain allegations arising from an ongoing police investigation.