Rehab break: Nine addicts whisked away from clinic

Armed men came to take them, police suspect family, addicts’ own involvement.

ISLAMABAD:

Four unknown gunmen on Thursday raided a private rehabilitation centre and picked up nine under-treatment heroin addicts, police said.

The incident took place in sector G/10 in the jurisdiction of Ramna Police Station.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the Ramna station house officer said the owner of the rehabilitation centre, Dr Zafar, reported to the police that four unknown gunmen stormed into his centre and picked up nine under-treatment patients. He said that police has started investigating. “After a detailed inquiry, we will register an FIR. We are thoroughly investigating the matter,” he said.



Police sources said that it is yet to be confirmed whether relatives of the patients, in a bid to avoid exaggerated fees, had their loved ones ‘freed’ from the centre, or if some other elements are involved in the kidnapping. They said that police had gotten information that the owner of the rehabilitation centre had been demanding high fees from the relatives of patients for discharging them.

Sources said that in rehabilitation centres, doctors usually charge high fee from patients after they are rehabilitated.

A senior police officer who visited the centre said circumstantial evidence suggested that addicts themselves had fled from the centre. He said that there were 11 under-treatment patients in the centre and only three persons there to guard them.  “I think there is something fishy in this case,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2013.