13,000 suspected drug peddlers held this year, meeting told

The Sindh police this year arrested over 13,000 suspects in more than 10,000 raids on drug peddlers’ hideouts and registered 11,500 plus cases, CIA DIG Muqaddas Haider told a meeting on Thursday.

An important meeting of the third high-powered monitoring committee was held at the office of the DG Narcotics Control, with Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla in chair.

The minister was given a detailed briefing on drug eradication and prevention by all the departments participating in the meeting, and possible measures were also considered. ANF Regional Director Brigadier Umar Farooq briefed the minister about how drug peddlers have innovated traditional methods of smuggling. He said drug peddlers are smuggling drugs through soap, shampoo, clothes, e-cigarettes (vapes), medical gloves, chocolates, beverages, car air-conditioner compressors, travel bags and food items.

DIG Haider said that over 122kg of ice crystals, 54kg of heroin, more than 8,500kg of hashish, 105kg of opium and over 32,000 litres of local liquor have been seized from drug peddlers this year.

Education department officials said they have informed the heads of all public and private educational institutions about drug trafficking and preventing students from drug use, following which special attention is being paid to educational institutions, especially non-teaching staff, while some individuals have also been arrested from various institutions.

Chawla appreciated the performance of all the departments that participated in the meeting, and said they are all doing a good job, but stressed that more concrete steps need to be taken to eliminate drugs and prevent its spread.

He ordered launching a vigorous media campaign for public awareness about drug prevention. He said the surveillance system in the border areas of the province should be improved, and a data-sharing system should be established between all the relevant departments.

He also ordered compiling data of all private rehabilitation centres established for drug addicts, formulating a comprehensive policy and holding monthly meetings for timely steps related to drug prevention.

The meeting was also attended by Excise Secretary Muhammad Saleem Rajput, Social Welfare Secretary Pervaiz Ali Sehar, Narcotics Control DG Aurangzeb Panhwar, Sindh Higher Education Commission Director Academic Khalid Hussain Mehar, United Nations Office on Drugs & Crimes Senior Member Sajid Aslam, Customs Additional Director Basit Hussain, and representatives of the school education, college education, universities & boards and other departments.