One dead as drug peddlers use ‘automatic weapons’ against police in Karachi

KARACHI: A police operation against alleged drug peddlers in city’s Gadap area turned violent when the latter resorted to firing on law enforcers, resulting death of a 14-year-old teenager in the cross-fire.

The police team arrived in the Kochi Camp of Gadap area this morning to crack down on ‘powerful’ drug peddlers of the area, but they opened fire on the police, resulting cops to open retaliatory fire, according to SSP Malir Shiraz Nazeer.

He said three to four policemen were also injured in the shoot-out.

Speaking to ARY News, he said the criminals used ‘automatic weapons’ against the police. “While we just defended ourselves”, he added. The SSP said it was unclear at the moment whether the teenager died in fire by police or the drug dealers.

He explained the drug dealers use local people as their shield on most occasions when police go after them and they [criminals] did the same today.

Soon after the firing, the SSP said, the protesters carried body of the deceased teenager to the road and blocked the artery. He claimed that the police didn’t force as protesters had women and children among them.

He informed that earlier police had also resorted to shelling to disperse demonstrators who were pelting police with stones, while on the other side drug peddlers were firing shots at the police.