ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday lauded the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for seizing tonnes of drugs and successful prosecution of narcotics related cases.
The minister said acknowledgement and appreciation of the ANF at regional as well as international level was a matter of satisfaction. He was talking to ANF Director General Major General Nasir Dilawar Shah who called on him here and presented a report on mid-year performance of the force.
The minister was informed that the ANF seized 49.12 tonnes of narcotics comprising 2.23 tonnes heroin, 33.24 tonnes hashish, 7.7 tonnes Opium, 1.44 tonnes morphine, 1.62 kg cocaine, 931.87 kg amphetamine, 6.08 kg methamphetamine, 790 ecstasy tablets and 28,550 xanax tablets up to June this year. The price of seized drugs in the international market was over Rs 3.98 billion.
During this period, the ANF also seized 3.55 tonnes of precursors (chemical used in preparation of drugs) while registered 426 and arrested 506 drug traffickers.
The minister was told that a special anti-drug drive was launched in April this year, focusing educational institutions at Islamabad and all provincial capitals which helped the agency seize drugs worth Rs. 1.17 billion in international market.
In this connection, the ANF conducted 136 operations across Pakistan which led to the seizure of 19 vehicles, besides recovering 44.726 kg heroin, 1,274.77 kg hashish, 23.15 kg opium and 1.12 kg cocaine. As many as 155 traffickers were also arrested in these operations.
Majority of the operations were carried out at Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Lahore, Attock, Haripur, Peshawar, Kohat, Multan, Gilgit, Sukkur, Karachi, Quetta and Qilla Abdullah.
Nisar appreciated the ANF leadership for speedy trials and investigation process. During the investigation of cases, the ANF withheld property worth Rs 301.55 million which Rs 6.95 million worth property was auctioned.
Referring to the drug demand reduction drive, the ANF DG said that 195 countrywide activities were conducted including lectures, free medical camps, sports events, workshops, poster competitions, musical shows and distribution of awareness material.
The DG apprised the minister that the ANF treated 318 patients at its treatment centres in Islamabad, Quetta and Karachi. The ANF was also in process of upgrading a 45-bed drug treatment centre at Rawalpindi, while another treatment centre of 55-bed at Karachi was undergoing expansion with addition of female and children wards, he added.
The ANF is also constructing a 100-bedded treatment centre at Peshawar which will be functional by end of this year, said the DG. The minister directed the ANF chief to ensure timely completion of treatment centres.