IGP forms body to intensify crackdown against all narcotic substances

Sindh police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon has laid stress on the need to curb the menace of narcotics in the province and formed an anti-narcotics committee (ANC), which will be headed by the additional inspector generals of investigation, operations and the Special Branch.

Officials said on Friday that during a recent meeting with his subordinates, Inspector General of Police Memon sought details from his subordinates on the progress of the gonging anti-narcotics operation which he found to be unsatisfactory. He asked if the operation was so much successful, then why the availability of narcotics, gutka/mawa and other drugs was continuously reported. He said he had formed a task force at the provincial level against narcotics.

According to the officials, the anti-narcotics committee will be headed by the additional IGs of investigation, operations and Special Branch. The committee will form a task force, which set up a range-wise committee and the police officers of good repute will be appointed. These committees will also include the SP Special Branch.

The officials said directions in this regard were also sent to Karachi’s additional IG, SSPs and other units and ranges of the Sindh Police.

The order issued by IGP Memon says that ‘to curb the menace of preparation, manufacturing, storage, sale, and use of gutka, mawa, manpuri, and other narcotics substance, declared as such prohibited items through ‘The Sindh Prohibition Preparation, Manufacturing, Storage, Sale, and Use of Gutka and Manpuri Act, 2019’ and ‘The control of Narcotics Substance (Sindh Amendment) Act, 2021, the provincial task force committee will notify its range-wise teams. The teams will have officers of known integrity and repute and will include the SP of the Special Branch nominated by the additional IG Special Branch. The provincial task force will have the following terms of reference and mandate.

The task force will act in an organised manner against criminal gangs and their members who are involved in the manufacturing, transport and distribution of gutka, mawa, manpuri and other narcotic substances. The operational command of the RTs will rest with the additional IG operations, who will plan operations, while the additional IG Special Branch will provide actionable intelligence and nominate officers of impeccable repute as part of RTs.

The task force may act on its own information and or intelligence reports received through the additional IG Special Branch regarding any organised activity related to the preparation, manufacturing, storage, sale, and use of gutka, mawa, manpuri and other narcotic substances being done on a large scale.

The task force will have the mandate to operate in any part of Sindh and have jurisdiction throughout the province. It will formulate its recommendations to curb the menace and keep the IGP informed periodically of its progress. Moreover, for conducting raids and operational duties, it will have the authority to seek logistics and human resources from any unit of the Sindh Police, including the RRF and the SSU. The unit from which logistics and human resources are sought will be duty-bound to provide such logistics and human resources without fail and delay.

In case of a successful raid by an RT, after the registration of an FIR, the task force will monitor the investigation of the case till the submission of the final challan. In case of a successful raid by the task force, strict legal and departmental action will be taken against the officers involved starting from the SHO to the district SSP.

It was also directed by the IGP that in case of Karachi, the CIA DIG will constitute a team of reputed offices to visit hospitals where victims suffering due to using gutka, mawa, manpuri and other narcotic substances are under treatment. The team will seek their statements and proceed as per law. The task force and the CIA DIG will submit a progress report and brief the competent authority about action taken on a fortnightly basis.