Excise official held for drug smuggling

PESHAWAR: An official of the Excise and Narcotics Control Department was arrested in the provincial capital on Sunday while allegedly smuggling drugs.

The police in Chamkani stopped a car and later recovered six kilograms of heroin from its hidden cavities, said an official.

He said an Assistant Sub-Inspector of the Excise Department, Usman Zafar, along with another accused Asad Ali were arrested.

The police claimed the two accused were members of an organised gang of drug smugglers and were allegedly smuggling the drugs to Punjab.

There were a number of incidents in which the officials of the force supposed to counter smuggling were arrested for drug smuggling as well as other unlawful activities. The chief minister had suspended the entire squad of the Excise on different occasions for negligence and misuse of power.

Besides, a few months back an official from the Excise Department was arrested and booked by police in Kohat for allegedly smuggling drugs.

Sources said the misuse of power and corruption among the Excise officials can be gauged from the lifestyle of Excise and Taxation officers, inspectors, sub-inspectors and even constables who own many cars, houses and run various businesses. There are complaints that squads of the department stop even innocent citizens and trouble them daily but many of the force personnel themselves are engaged in illegal activities.

They were not only held for involvement in drug smuggling but they also misuse non-customs paid (NCP) cars and case property vehicles. The misuse of power by the officials of the department has increased after they were given the authority to go after the drug trafficking.

Apart from a few major recoveries, many of the squads of the department are allegedly focusing on corrupt practices rather than going after drugs and NCP cars.