IGP suspends SHO, his team for patronising drugs mafia

After taking notice of a report of the provincial task force on narcotics, the Sindh inspector general of police (IGP), Ghulam Nabi Memon, has suspended a station house officer (SHO) and his team for patronising the narcotics mafia in his area.

Officials said that on Thursday, 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.”

Following the report, the IGP formed a task force at the provincial level against narcotics, gutka and mainpuri. The Anti-Narcotics Committee would be headed by the additional IG investigation, operations and special branch.

The task force would set up range-wise committees and police officers of good repute would be appointed in them. These committees would include the SP special branch. Afterwards, the IGP reviewed the progress of operations in the Kutcha areas.

He was informed that the report containing police action and performance against robbers in the Kutcha areas of Sindh contained instructions that no compromise should be made regarding the protection of life, property and honour of the people.

Earlier in the meeting, IGP Memon also discussed kidnappings for ransom, especially the recent cases reported in the interior of Sindh. Officials said that the meeting was also attended by the SSPs of Ghotki, Shikarpur, Kashmore districts via video link, who separately briefed IGP Memon on prevention of kidnappings for ransom and other police measures.

He commended them for standing firm against the robbers and directed that action should be taken jointly against crime in kutcha areas. The provincial police chief further directed that action should be taken against the accused involved in the kidnappings, and special focus should be laid on proper utilisation of the available manpower and resources.

He directed that intelligence-based operations should be intensified to discourage dacoits, and the secret tracking network should be strengthened. The three SSPs remained in touch with other law enforcement agencies as well as maintain mutual contacts. All facilities should be provided to the police pickets established in Ghotki, Shikarpur, Kashmore, said the IGP. Moreover, he said, honey traps should be stopped in every situation and the public should also be made aware in this regard.