Ephedrine case: ANF arrests former DG health
Hafeez arrested for illegally allocating quota for local use, meant for exporting.
RAWALPINDI:
The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) arrested a former director-general health on Friday for illegally allotting the quota of ephedrine for local use which was meant for exporting.
Former DG health Asad Hafeez had allocated this quota during his tenure at the health department.
Hafeez was later produced before ANF Magistrate Shafqatullah Khan by ANF in order to obtain his legal custody.
The case regarding the illegal sale of Ephedrine was registered on October 10 last year, after two pharmaceutical companies — Danas Pharmaceutical Limited and Berlex Lab International – were accused of obtaining export quotas for the drug in collusion with the health ministry officials that exceeded the limits fixed by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
The INCB had fixed an annual quota of 22,000kg of ephedrine for Pakistan for 2010-11, but the ministry of health following its devolution allocated a quota of around 31,000kg of the drug.
Later, ANF’s investigation had allegedly established a direct link between Ali Musa Gilani and the multi-billion drug scandal.
The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) arrested a former director-general health on Friday for illegally allotting the quota of ephedrine for local use which was meant for exporting.
Former DG health Asad Hafeez had allocated this quota during his tenure at the health department.
Hafeez was later produced before ANF Magistrate Shafqatullah Khan by ANF in order to obtain his legal custody.
The case regarding the illegal sale of Ephedrine was registered on October 10 last year, after two pharmaceutical companies — Danas Pharmaceutical Limited and Berlex Lab International – were accused of obtaining export quotas for the drug in collusion with the health ministry officials that exceeded the limits fixed by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
The INCB had fixed an annual quota of 22,000kg of ephedrine for Pakistan for 2010-11, but the ministry of health following its devolution allocated a quota of around 31,000kg of the drug.
Later, ANF’s investigation had allegedly established a direct link between Ali Musa Gilani and the multi-billion drug scandal.