DSP, eight SHOs suspended over poor performance in fight against drugs in Karachi

Sindh police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon was informed in a meeting on narcotics control on Friday that in Karachi alone 197 FIRs had been registered and 269 suspects arrested this year.

He was also told that departmental proceedings were underway against the officers found guilty of poor performance. Those suspended include a DSP, the SHOs of Keenjhar, Thatta, Orangi Town, New Karachi Industrial Area, Khwaja Ajmer Nagri and Kharadar.

Officials said that Inspector General of Police Memon presided over the meeting and a high-level video link conference in which he reviewed the performance of the recently established task force against narcotics, gutka and mawa.

He said departmental and legal action should be taken against DSPs, SHOs and other officers involved in crime or facilitating or patronising criminals. The task force should intensify action against the drug, gutka, mawa mafia and ensure their elimination, he added.

IGP Memon directed that the DIGs through CPOs should ensure strict action against officers involved in facilitating and patronising the narcotics, gutka and mawa mafia. Moreover, big dealers, wholesalers and mafias of drugs, gutka and mawa should be wiped out, he said, adding that the reward list of officers with excellent performance should be prepared and sent to his office.

Karachi’s Additional IG Javed Alam Odho told the Sindh IGP that a crackdown was going on against drugs, and big dealers and factories preparing gutka and mawa. Focal person SSP Ali Raza also briefed the IGP on the actions of the task force.

As a result of 197 raids in Karachi, 269 suspects were arrested under 197 FIRs. Moreover, 32 raids were conducted by the task force in Hyderabad, in which cops arrested 41 suspects and registered 32 FIRs against them. In the Sukkur Range, 50 suspects were arrested and 50 FIRs registered. Also, police conducted 50 raids in Sukkur.

The meeting was informed that departmental proceedings were underway against officers found guilty of poor performance. Those suspended include a DSP, the SHOs of Keenjhar, Thatta, Orangi Town, New Karachi Industrial Area, Khwaja Ajmer Nagri and Kharadar. The DIGs of all ranges also gave separate briefings on action and performance against drugs, gutka and mava.

The video link conference and meeting was attended by all DIGs and th additional IGs of Karachi, Special Branch and investigation. On Thursday, after taking notice of a report of the provincial task force on narcotics, IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon also suspended an SHO and his team for patronising the narcotics mafia in his area. Officials said the IGP conducted a review and progress meeting at the Central Police Office (CPO) where he went through the reports provided by the recently formed provincial task force and also gone through a detailed review of the operations carried out in the Kutcha areas.

It was found during the meeting that the SHO of Tando Ghulam Hyder and his staff at the police station were involved in patronising the narcotics mafia in their jurisdiction and the task force had also recovered huge quantity of the narcotics during the raid.

The report submitted reads, “Refer to this office letter dated 28th March 2023, regarding constitution of provincial task force against Gutka, Mainpuri and other narcotics. That ASP Matli Ms Majida Parveen Halepoto along with police party conducted raid on a factory in district Tando Muhammad Khan within jurisdiction of PS Tando Ghulam Hyder and recovered huge quantity of Mainpuri i.e. 20,200 packets of mainpuri, 94 kilogrammes of raw material and other stuff. A case vide FIR No. 28/2023 under Gutka, Mawa, Mainpuri Act-2019 has also been registered at PS Tando Ghulam Hyder.

“In this regard, the competent authority has directed that SHO PS Tando Ghulam Hyder namely SI Syed Asif Abbas Shah and Incharge Police Post Nazarpur ASI Hadi Bux may be closed to Garden Headquarters B company, Karachi, immediately pending further disciplinary action as he was involved in patronising gutka and mainpuri and other narcotics in his area of responsibility, under intimation to this office.”