Police have uncovered what they describe as an extensive drug trafficking network operated by a woman arrested in Karachi earlier this week, with links stretching across the country and abroad, senior officials said on Friday.

Anmol, alias Pinky, widely referred to by investigators as the “Cocaine Queen”, was arrested on May 12 in the Garden area of Karachi during a joint operation by police and a federal agency.

At a briefing on Friday, Additional Inspector General of Karachi Azad Khan said police recovered 1.5 kilogrammes of cocaine, a 9mm pistol, and chemicals used in cocaine production from the suspect at the time of her arrest.

Investigators say Anmol has been involved in drug trafficking since 2014 and expanded her operations online in 2018 through a delivery network based in Karachi. Twenty cases have been registered against her in Sindh and three in Lahore, officials said.

A forensic review of her mobile phone revealed 869 contacts, several of whom are believed to be linked to her drug supply network. Police also traced transactions worth approximately 30 million rupees through one of her bank accounts.

Of nine delivery riders identified as part of her network, eight are from Punjab and one from Karachi, a detail officials say points to the operation’s interprovincial reach.

A separate case at Wahdat Colony police station in Lahore, registered in 2024, has added fresh momentum to the investigation. In that case, an accused named Sabra Bibi was found in possession of 20 grams of cocaine and allegedly told investigators she had obtained the drugs from Anmol in Karachi. Police say this is now the fourth case being reviewed as part of the wider probe.

Azad Khan confirmed that Punjab Police, the Anti-Narcotics Force, and other agencies are actively cooperating in the investigation. Efforts to trace foreign facilitators are also ongoing.

Police have formally recommended that four key individuals linked to the case be placed on the Exit Control List, restricting their ability to leave the country while the investigation continues.

Background of the case

Earlier, Alleged drug trafficker Anmol alias “Pinky,” dubbed the “Cocaine Queen” by investigators, was arrested earlier this week during a joint operation conducted by Karachi police and federal agencies in the Garden area.

Authorities claimed she was operating a large narcotics network spanning multiple cities across Pakistan and was wanted in more than 10 criminal cases.

Police said high-quality narcotics worth millions of rupees, along with a pistol and ammunition, were recovered during the raid.

Investigators alleged that Pinky used female riders and digital payment channels to distribute drugs while avoiding police surveillance. Officials also claimed the network targeted students at educational institutions and affluent clients in major urban centres.

A local court later sent the accused to jail on judicial remand, while police subsequently secured a three-day physical remand for further interrogation.

The case drew further attention after videos circulated on social media showing the accused appearing in court without handcuffs and allegedly receiving protocol. Following the controversy, senior police officials ordered inquiries and suspended officers accused of granting undue privileges.

Investigators later revealed that Pinky allegedly operated drug supply networks from both Karachi and Lahore and maintained links with accomplices across several cities, including Islamabad, Multan, Murree, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Authorities also alleged that she launched her own narcotics brand under the name “Queen Madam Pinky” and used online payment systems and mobile franchise networks to handle transactions.

The investigation has since expanded to Lahore, where the Punjab government and the Crime Control Department (CCD) have initiated separate inquiries into the network and alleged procedural lapses in earlier cases linked to Pinky and her associates.