ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: Federal Minister of Narcotics Control Ghous Bux Khan Mehar has said 2,037 foreigners have been arrested on charge of drug smuggling from 2001 to October 2005.

In a written reply to a question raised by PPP senator Enver Baig in the Senate on Friday, the minister said the Anti- Narcotics Force had arrested 306 foreigners during the year 2001, followed by 306 in 2002, 329 in 2003, 401 in 2004 and 208 in 2005.

Mr Mehar said detailed information regarding their names, nationality, date of arrest, place/date of challan and conviction was being collected from various regional offices as well as other agencies, such as Customs and police, and would soon be placed before the house.

Replying to another question raised by Kalsoom Parveen, the minister said there were 112 NGOs working with ANF’s regional directorate in Quetta for drug demand reduction and rehabilitation of drug addicts in Balochistan.

The NGOs are provided funds from the scheme called ‘NGOs support programme in treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts’ being funded under PSDP funds.

A local NGO, ‘AGOSH’, has also received funds under a project of Saarc titled “Prevention of Transmission of HIV Among Drug Users in Saarc Countries”. However, the NGOs generate their own funds as well. ANF provides a platform and brings these organizations together and serves as an umbrella under which different NGOs may exchange and share their expertise and help each other to design their programme for better working against the drug menace.

Replying to another question, Mr Mehar said 555 drug traffickers were arrested during the last two years in Balochistan. He said 280 drug traffickers were arrested during 2004 and 14 accused convicted during the same period, while 275 were arrested in 2005 and 25 convicted.

He said the ANF personnel had seized 3,867.15kg of opium, 13,542.9kg of heroin and 22,196.kg of hashish during the last two years in Balochistan. They also seized 536.1kg of opium, 499.9kg of heroin and 8,146.8kg of hashish from the possession of drug traffickers during the last two years.

He said 3,331kg of opium, 13,093kg of heroin and 14,049 of hashish were seized but the traffickers were not arrested. The reason why the drug traffickers could not be arrested in these cases is that the raids are usually conducted at night to avoid visibility but even then the drug traffickers were able to identify the ANF vehicle and managed to escape.