Anti Narcotics Force rounded up 1,338 drug traffickers last year

Rawalpindi: Anti Narcotics Force (ANF), in its efforts to make the country a drug free society conducted countrywide operations in 2017 and rounded up 1,338 drug traffickers including 27 foreigners besides recovering 164.07 metric tons drugs and 56.358 metric tons prohibited chemical while nine domestic and an international drug trafficking organisations were also busted.

ANF spokesman informed this agency that ANF registered 1,172 cases in 2017. The seized drugs comprised 32,574.1 kg Opium, 7,132.2 kg Morphine, 19,754.6 kg Heroin,102,113.193 kg Hashish, 387.089 kg Cocaine, 57.07 kg Cannabis, 1,891.517 kg Amphetamine, 39.937 kg Methamphetamine, 23.368 kg Ecstasy Tablets, 14.741 kg Xanax Tablets, 9.413 kg Diazepam Tablets, 73.5 kg Prazolam Tablets while prohibited chemical included 917.5 litre Acetic Anhydride, 50594.8 litre Sulphuric Acid, 4130 litre Hydrochloric Acid and 715 litre Acetone. ANF also destroyed 385.265 metric tons of narcotics in total at Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta during 2017, he added.

ANF carried out 364 awareness raising and drug abuse prevention activities during last year across the country in order to aware the masses about the hazards of drugs with a special focus on educational institutions.

These activities included seminars, lectures, awareness walks, sports events, tableaus, essay competitions, free medical camps, advertisements in print & electronic material and distribution of informational material etc.

ANF is also expanding its Drug Treatment Facility to 178 more beds at Karachi, Sukkur and Peshawar including establishment of 48 bedded female and Juvenile Drug Treatment Ward within existing MATRC Karachi in addition to existing 145 bedded Drug Treatment Facilities at Islamabad, Quetta and Karachi.

During year 2017, ANF has provided free of cost drug treatment to900 drug addicts at its Drug Treatment Centres. During 2017, ANF arranged 23 different training courses at ANF Academy, wherein 1943 officers and officials of ANF as well as other Law Enforcement Agencies were imparted professional training.

Besides, ANF has also up-graded ANF Baluchistan in respect of deployment, intelligence ability, technical capability and mobility with special focus on Gwadar in view of the CPEC, he added.