Anti-narcotics policy calls for strengthening drug labs testing capacity

Islamabad: Ministry of Narcotics Control has proposed to establish at least one provincial laboratory with capacity of testing drugs with equipped and properly trained staff for use of all Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).

Timely and proper investigation of drugs is first step for a successful trial while on other hand, if seized substance is not a drug, a quick and accurate report helps exonerate those who have been arrested on suspicion without much evidence.

There are few drug testing and forensic laboratories in the country that test controlled substances under CNS Act, 1997. In a new National Anti-Narcotics Policy-2019, the Ministry stressed that one federal drug testing laboratory will be identified which shall, in addition to testing samples that it receives, be responsible for developing/ documenting/ prescribing standard testing protocols for each narcotic drug, psychotropic substance and precursor and any other related tests.

The other responsibilities would be to developing/documenting/prescribing standard methods for testing samples of blood, urine, etc. to confirm consumption of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances by any person.

Developing advanced forensic testing methods such as impurity profiling, developing standardized forms of reporting which can withstand legal scrutiny, publishing and disseminating manuals on the above to all forensic science labs in the country and identifying basic minimum equipment required to conduct tests to determine the nature and purity of any narcotic drug psychotropic substance or precursor would be other responsibilities.

It would identify the gaps between equipment that is required and that which is available in each of the labs, make recommendations on equipment required to strengthen each laboratory and conduct training programme for personnel working in various forensic laboratories in the country.

The ANF being a lead/premier Agency should develop a state-of-art Drug Laboratory as a centre of excellence where apart of routine drug testing, can also act as an appellate (third party) platform, the policy document further suggested.