Dark web fuels drug shift: ANF

KARACHI:

The use of the dark web and social media platforms to procure drugs using cryptocurrency has reached alarming levels, posing new challenges for Pakistan's anti-narcotics efforts. Authorities report a growing influx of weed and cocaine from Western and African countries, alongside a troubling shift from plant-based substances to synthetic drugs.

The law enforcement agencies are tightening controls on drug smuggling via courier and parcel services—routes increasingly exploited by traffickers seeking to bypass conventional checkpoints. Over the past year, 33 drug trafficking groups, including a prominent Nigerian network, have been dismantled.

Smugglers are also adopting increasingly sophisticated methods to conceal narcotics, often hiding them in sports goods, surgical instruments, and textile shipments—tactics seen not only as criminal but as attempts to damage Pakistan's global reputation.

According to Brigadier Syed Imran Ali, Director Enforcement at the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Headquarters Pakistan has maintained its poppy-free status since 2001, a milestone reaffirmed this year.

Speaking at a briefing in Karachi, Brigadier Ali noted that Pakistan's geographic location makes it a key transit route for international drug trafficking. He expressed concern over the rising use of the dark web and social media platforms for purchasing drugs through cryptocurrency, terming it a growing threat. Traffickers, he added, are increasingly shifting from plant-based substances to synthetic narcotics. Recent ANF operations have uncovered significant inflows of weed and cocaine from Western and African countries.

Brigadier Muhammad Umar Farooq, Regional Directorate Commander Sindh, stated that a significant aspect of drug smuggling involves the courier and parcel system, both internationally and domestically. While major courier offices are equipped with scanners and require documents such as copies of national identity cards and complete addresses of senders and recipients, traffickers are exploiting loopholes in neighborhood-level parcel handling. As a result, institutional measures are being further strengthened to counter drug smuggling through couriers and parcels.

Out of Pakistan's 240 million population, approximately 170 million are between the ages of 18 and 31. Protecting this vast youth demographic from the scourge of drugs is a national responsibility. While the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) continues its efforts to curb drug smuggling, there is a pressing need for widespread social awareness. Addressing this challenge requires collective action across all sectors of society.

Providing details of crackdowns conducted throughout 2024 and the current mid-year period—spanning roughly one and a half years—ANF officials stated that joint operations with various individuals and institutions resulted in the seizure of 452 tons of drugs. Of this, the ANF alone recovered over 244 tons, accounting for more than 58 per cent of all anti-drug operations.

At airports across the country, 436 suspects were arrested, and attempts to smuggle drugs through 373 parcels were foiled. Maritime operations led to the seizure of 19 containers. Efforts to smuggle drugs to Gulf countries were also thwarted, resulting in the arrest of 403 suspects and the seizure of 5,783 kilograms of narcotics.

In collaboration with international organisations, 44 maritime operations were conducted against drug trafficking networks, leading to the dismantling of 33 groups, including a Nigerian syndicate.

Attempts to malign Pakistan's reputation through drug smuggling concealed in sports goods, surgical instruments and textile products have been uncovered. Nationals from Afghanistan and Nigeria have been found to be more frequently involved in these operations. Meanwhile, Pakistan ranks fifth among the countries most affected by climate change. In line with environmental concerns, the ANF incinerates confiscated drugs in secure facilities rather than burning them in open fields.

The rising use of drugs in educational institutions is alarming. The ANF has conducted multiple operations around these institutions, seizing 1,420 kilograms of drugs. A total of 363 operations aimed at curbing drug spread were carried out, leading to the arrest of 421 suspects identified through intelligence as suppliers to students.

Since 2005, rehabilitation efforts have helped 30,000 drug addicts return to normal life. The ANF not only targets those involved in the drug trade but also actively pursues legal action to ensure their conviction. Following arrests, the ANF has achieved an impressive conviction rate of 85 per cent.