Peshawar Police unearth major ring of drug dealers

PESHAWAR: The Capital City Police on Tuesday unearthed a major ring involved in the sale and smuggling of ice and heroin and arrested 13 accused, officials said.

Police officials said they had planned the raids after receiving specific information that drugs of various kinds were being sold and smuggled by different individuals and groups. They said 11 of those arrested are Khogiani Afghans, who had allegedly obtained fake Pakistani computerised national identity cards.

"The arrests were made from areas in the limits of Hayatabad, Tatara and Pishtakhara police stations. Around 4.63 kilograms of ice or meth worth Rs7 million in the local market, 3,958 ecstasy pills valued at Rs10 million, 11 kilograms of heroin worth Rs4.4 million and 29 kilograms of hashish costing Rs400,000 were recovered during the actions," Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mohammad Tahir Khan told a press conference at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines.

The CCPO said that police had been pursuing the gang for the last almost one month. He identified those held during the raids as Said Bahar, Imran, Delawar, Rasool Khan, Naqeeb, Nazar Mohammad, Zareen Khan, Abdul Rasheed, Abdul Raqeeb, Mohammad Sadiq, Aurangzeb, Mir Afzal and Khawas Khan.

He added that the ingredients for ice and ecstasy were presumably methamphetamine, ephedrine, arinac, panadol and Plaster of Paris. He said ecstasy was mainly smuggled from Europe. "Ice is manufactured in the neighbouring countries and the tribal areas and used in Pakistan. Further progress is expected in the case within a few days," said Mohammad Tahir Khan.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Investigation, Nisar Ahmad, SP Cantonment Waseem Riaz, ASP Hayatabad Waqar Kharal and concerned station house officers were also present on the occasion.

Police have been facing a number of issues as there are no specific laws to deal with smugglers and sellers of ice and other synthetic drugs. "Legislation is needed with retrospective effect to increase punishment for synthetic, chemical and in-organic drugs like ice," said an official.