Police, other depts struggling to curb drugs business

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police and other departments are struggling to stop the increasing use of narcotics by the youth, particularly the students.

Apart from the police, there are many forces that have been carrying out operations against the drug dealers. However, they have largely failed to stop the alarming use of the narcotics in the society despite making efforts for years.

A special operation was recently started by the KP Police to eradicate the menace from the society. Some successful actions were taken but no major breakthrough could be made so far.

“The KP Police authorities have sent lists to the police stations concerned in Peshawar and other districts after identifying the big fish involved in the business. However, a few of them could be nabbed so far since they are unable to collect sufficient evidence to tighten the noose around the gangs,” a source said. The source added that some of the dealers were influential and avoided being arrested by using their connections.

The source said that some of the dealers in the grey list of the force have approached the police station concerned after the recent operations and submitted affidavits that they had nothing to do with the drug business. They claimed their names were mistakenly added to the lists.

Apart from an increasing number of males, many young female addicts were seen in different parts of Peshawar and rest of KP, indicating at an increase in the use of ice and heroin among women. Many dealers have also been arrested in vicinity of universities and other educational institutions and hostels after reports of alarming increase in the use of ice by the students in the recent years.

An official said that a special anti-ice cell had been set up in the provincial capital but no facilities have been given to the force to go after the big fish.

Also, there are not enough patrolling cars, gadgets and other resources to check the sale of narcotics.

A source said that the use of ice, also called meth or crystal, had reached an alarming level. There are many instances of deaths caused by its abuse.

The source said that the easy availability of ice, heroin and hashish in Peshawar and other districts of KP was one of the major factors of the increase in the use of drugs.

Ice is the new challenge for the police, Customs, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Excise and other forces since its use has increased manifold in recent years.

Experts believe that a dose of ice, which is also called party drug, may trigger more than 1,200 units of dopamine which is 600 percent more than what the body can do on its own.

A large number of people are consuming it in parties across the country. Continuous use of ice affects the body and shortens life by many years.

The source said that ice can be easily manufactured and consumed orally through injections or inhaled. One dose of ice is stated to be 3.5 times more intense than cocaine.

Apart from ice, the addicts also use heroin, hashish and a number of pills and injections. These drugs also need to be banned and action should be taken against the

stores involved in its sale to the addicts.

Though arrests are being made almost daily, the source believed that the majority of those held were mere users or small dealers as the police stations concerned try to show an increase in arrests only. Most of those held are caught with few grams of ice, heroin or hashish. Hardly a few few of the major gangs could be busted and their members held.

An official of the KP Police said an aggressive operation has been launched against the drug dealers, particularly those involved in sale and trafficking of ice and heroin.

The official said over 22,700 kg drugs were recovered in operations during the last year. These included 228 kg ice, 1,075 kg heroin, 20,245 kg hashish and 1,183 kg opium.

The official said that some of the major gangs were busted in operations against drug dealers in Peshawar and Khyber.

Superintendent of Police, Peshawar Cantt Tahir Shah on Tuesday told a press conference that police during a special operation recovered 2.5 kg ice, 5 kg heroin and 12 kg hashish in the limits of five police stations only. He added that many of the dealers were arrested.

An official said 263 cases were registered and over 337 drug dealers arrested alone in Khyber since policing were introduced in the newly merged tribal districts.

He continued that 355 kg heroin 1,581 kg hashish and 19 kg ice have been recovered by the police in Khyber, the district believed to be the main route as well as one of the biggest drug markets.