‘Ice-free Peshawar’

PESHAWAR: A senior police official said Saturday more arrests had been made during the campaign against narcotics, especially ice, in the provincial capital.

The capital city police said it had launched a special ice-free Peshawar campaign in the provincial capital to go after the sellers, smugglers and addicts of the synthetic drug, the use of which has alarmingly increased among the locals in the last few years.

“Many of the peddlers and the addicts were arrested during and before the Eid days. Police have also recovered huge quantity of ice, hashish and other drugs from the held accused,” Capital City Police Officer Qazi Jamilur Rehman said.

The capital city police authorities last week said to have recovered two kilograms of ice, 26 kilograms of heroin, 624 kg of hashish and 3300 litres of liquor.

The campaign is specially focusing on those involved in the trade and manufacturing of ice, also called crystal meth, methamphetamine and party drug.

“The SPs of all the four circles have been directed to submit their weekly report on the progress in campaign against ice. Those performing well in the campaign will be rewarded to encourage others,” said the CCPO.

Police have expressed concern in a number of meetings with the government officials over the release of the ice dealers on bail since there is no special law to deal the synthetic drug.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police wants legislation by the provincial assembly to ensure a strict punishment for the manufactures, sellers, peddlers and users of ice. The drug is more dangerous for the human body than cocaine, hashish or any other narcotics and has already caused deaths in the city and other districts.

Police officials said that apart from operations against the drug dealers and peddlers, they have launched an awareness campaign against ice.

The civil society, religious scholars, elected representatives, colleges and university administrations, the district administration and elders of the society are being engaged in the awareness campaign against the synthetic drug.