Police incrimination

When a city is rife with corruption at every level, any attempt at progress is easily undermined by those who prioritise personal gain above development. Such an incident has come to light recently through an official inquiry, revealing that narcotics seized by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Sindh Police have been resold back into the drug market by certain SIU officers. The large-scale drug bust netted about 468kg of hashish and 40kg of crystal meth, leading to the arrest of 14 suspects including an assistant excise and taxation officer. The narcotics, valued at Rs280 million, were resold to the same drug peddlers at a subsidised cost.

Unfortunately, this has not happened for the first time. Just five months ago, a sessions court in Karachi sentenced six policemen to life imprisonment after they were caught with copious amounts of charas, meant for reselling, in their official police van. Albeit this time, the SIU officers have simply been suspended. This undeniably interconnected network of drug peddlers and police officers begs the question: how many times have the suppliers already benefited from this arrangement? It would not be far-fetched to assume that even protected information has been leaked to these drug suppliers before.

Suspension is neither an adequate punishment nor a solution to the larger problem of illegal drug networks. While police high-ups have assured citizens that strict action would follow the ongoing inquiry, it is important that follow-ups are provided so that the matter is not settled informally. Moreover, transparency must be ensured in terms of the inquiry as well. There must be a deeper probe into the entire investigation unit so that any future attempts disrupting police raids can be curtailed.