Minister for Narcotics Control, Nawabzada Shazain Bugti has commissioned vigilance squads under the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to counter the sale of drugs around educational institutions, community centres and public transport terminals in urban areas.
The service-oriented and modern vigilance squads would operate in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. The Minister during his visit to ANF headquarters was briefed about the performance of the force and ANF Chief of Staff Brig Riffat Ali Khan himself presented a comprehensive review of ANF's performance for the year 2022.
Shazain Bugti was received by ANF Director-General Major General Muhammad Aneeq Ur Rehman Malik, HI(M). Secretary of the Ministry of Narcotics Control, Humaira Ahmed was also present on the occasion.
The minister was told that the total drug seizures by Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in 2022 was 227.2 metric tonnes.
He was told that drug traffickers used different modes against which ANF seizures through land-based operations were 111.328 metric tonnes seizures at seaports added up to 3.312 metric tonnes and airports were 428 kilograms. Seizures against drug trafficking attempts through parcels at mailing offices were 1.147 metric tonnes, the minister was told.
The minister was informed that 30 internationally coordinated intelligence operations were also conducted with assistance from international partners, 324 individuals were arrested in ANF’s operations at airports to foil drug trafficking attempts to other countries, and out of total arrests 1,508 were made during the year, 595 drug traffickers were convicted in various trials bringing the conviction rate to a remarkable 87 per cent.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2023.
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