‘Umeed-e-Nau’: ANF claims to have seized large cache of narcotics

The force has started an awareness campaign to make addicts realise drugs’ harmful effects.

KARACHI:

Following a countrywide crackdown on the drug mafia, conducted under the ‘Umeed-e-Nau’ operation, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) claimed to have recovered a large cache of narcotics in raids in Karachi and Sukkur.

This was disclosed during a press conference at the ANF Headquarters in Karachi on Saturday, where the ANF’s Karachi commander, Brig Muhammad Abu Zar, informed the media about the recent raids.

Brig Abu Zar reported that the first major raid was conducted on a tip-off at the drug mafia’s hideout in Karachi’s Yousuf Goth - an area notorious for such dealings. ANF was unable to arrest any of the drug mafia’s members as no one was present there during the raid, said the official. He added, however, that a huge cache of narcotics was found at the site. This included 87 kilogrammes (kg) of hashish, 37 kg of heroin, 476 bottles of wine and five drums containing Kuppi and the chemicals used to manufacture it.

In another raid, ANF officials claim to have seized 40 kg of hashish. According to the official, the hashish was seized from a truck in Sukkur. He added that the driver and cleaner of the truck managed to escape.

“Earlier, we only arrested people who were involved in drug peddling, but now we are also arresting drug addicts,” Brig Abu Zar explained. “We detain the addicts at the ANF’s Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre for two to three days to make them realise the harmful effects of the drugs.” He said that the ongoing campaign and awareness programme had shown promising results and that it would continue until the city was drug-free.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2013.