Sindh IG says probe into Pinky's drug network expanded as she named 'certain personalities'

Odho warns against glamourising drug queenpin, saying, 'Do not glamourise to the extent that a film is made about her'

KARACHI:

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Javed Alam Odho on Tuesday urged the media not to "glamourise" alleged drug trafficker Anmol alias Pinky, saying police were expanding investigations into narcotics networks as she had named certain personalities connected to the case.

Addressing a press conference in the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Odho said Pinky had previously been arrested two or three times by the Punjab Police.

He said, "Pinky has named certain personalities whose names I cannot disclose here," adding that authorities would not spare narcotics suppliers. Odho also warned against glamourising the alleged drug queenpin, saying, "Do not glamourise Pinky to the extent that a film is made about her."

Further, the IGP said that police were compiling lists regarding narcotics sales through social media and digital platforms and were also examining banking records linked to Pinky. "We are working on banking information. Pinky does not have one account, but several," he said.

Odho added that letters had been sent to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which were working alongside the Sindh government. "The NCCIA will monitor cyberspace and also register FIRs," he said, adding that crimes ranging from extortion to narcotics trafficking were increasingly shifting online.

He said that Pinky was being provided security to ensure no one could harm her and thereby disrupt the investigation process.

Read: Police campaign temporarily suspended

Pinky was arrested on May 12, accused of operating one of the city’s most organised narcotics supply networks. Arrested during a joint operation conducted by the City police and a civil agency from an apartment in the Garden area, investigators claim she was running a sophisticated cocaine processing and delivery operation with links extending beyond Karachi to Lahore, Islamabad and other cities.

Later, on May 15, Karachi AIG Azad Khan said that foreign nationals were also involved in the network, adding that more than 20 women were linked to the operation.

Just yesterday, a Judicial Magistrate South extended the queenpin's physical remand by four days in a murder case registered at Baghdadi Police Station. The investigation officer sought permission to record the complainant's statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which the court approved, directing that the statement be recorded on May 21 in the presence of the accused's lawyers.

Meanwhile, Pinky alleged that she was being coerced into naming politicians and members of the entertainment industry. She claimed that she had been subjected to torture and alleged that the investigation officer slapped her during interrogation. "The IO threatened me and asked me to name a former prime minister and actors Muneeb Butt and Syra Yousuf," she alleged.

Street crime and narcotics operations

Regarding levels of street crime in the city, Odho said Karachi was seeing a gradual decline every month and ensured that police were continuing efforts to reduce it further.

He also noted that the Sindh government had treated narcotics as a priority issue during the past three months, resulting in the arrest of more than 1,700 drug dealers. According to the IGP, police had also recovered 40 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as "ice", along with 560 kilograms of hashish and other narcotics.

Urging citizens to support anti-narcotics efforts and testify in court against offenders.

He added that drug addicts would be provided treatment, while strict action would continue against the suppliers and traffickers of narcotics.

Karachi traffic and encroachments

Speaking on Karachi's infrastructure and traffic issues, Odho proposed relocating wholesale markets outside the city to reduce congestion. "Just as the vegetable market had been shifted outside the city, other markets should also be relocated," he said.

The IGP also called for the construction of an expressway for industrial zones, describing the Northern Bypass expressway as a long-term solution for traffic management. He added that trackers had been installed in 70% of tankers and that vehicle fitness certification would be carried out under a public-private partnership.

Read More: 'Networks of organised crime in Karachi alarmingly strong'

Requesting the KCCI to nominate representatives for anti-encroachment committees, Odho noted that authorities were continuing to take measures against encroachments and illegal occupations.

Dedicating his Presidential Award to the police force's martyrs, Odho said that recognition belonged to officers and personnel who had sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. "I would like to dedicate this medal to the more than 1,100 martyrs of the police department," he said.

Odho said the award had been conferred in recognition of the ongoing operation against dacoits in the katcha area, where police had carried out extensive operations with the support of the Sindh government. "The 150-kilometre stretch from Ghotki to Larkana was a headache," he said, adding that armed groups in the riverine region possessed heavy and modern weaponry.

He also noted that Operation Nijaat Mehran had been launched after informing the provincial government that the operation could also result in casualties among police personnel.

The IGP revealed that 41 major dacoits had been killed during the past four months, while 320 suspects had surrendered to police. "More than 600 dacoits were either arrested or surrendered across 250 kilometres," he added.

However, according to Odho, several areas in the katcha belt still remained no-go areas and the pace of operations needed to be accelerated further.