VEHARI, June 25: Many elements are contributing to alarming rise in drug addiction, including no other than the police who are duty-bound to eradicate the menace from society, in Vehari and areas located under its shadow.

A survey conducted by this correspondent gives out that over a dozen areas, mostly in city’s slums, are operating as drug dens.

Some of these dens are located at the General Bus Stand, People’s Colony, Muslim Town, Chaks 9-11/WB, 19/WB, 21/WB, 23/ WB where truck crews and women are supplying drugs to the addicts with the connivance of ‘law enforcers’.

Addicts in large numbers, particularly near the Excise department office and behind Nadir Cinema, can be seen injecting drug ampoules to each other. Almost all medical stores around the DHQ Hospital are major suppliers of drug ampoules at higher rates.

Police reportedly take ‘monthly’ from owners of these drug dens to let them run their monkey business smoothly.

A police officer, requesting anonymity, claims that the police have to arrest some addicts to show their efficiency.

He says an SHO cannot take action against the drug pushers because their business is well-protected by the police high-ups.

The police avoid to keeping addicts in custody for investigation because they can’t survive without drugs. Sometime police officers provide drugs to addicts to steer clear of any controversy for most of them try to commit suicide without getting a regular dose of drugs.

A few days back, he says some students of the Government Girls College, Vehari, were caught red-handed while using drug, but the college administration did not disclose the incident. Similar is the situation prevailing in the Government College for Boys, he claims.

In Sharqi Colony, women were found selling heroin and hashish in small packets without the fear of police. For acquaintances, their code words were ‘full token’ and ‘half token’. A full packet was being sold for Rs200 and half packet for Rs100.

Some women are reportedly doing the roaring drug business at their residences as well. Even children are also helping their mothers in this ugly trade.

When an attempt to take snaps of these addicts was made, drug vendors came in front of them to save these addicts from any possible raid.

Another official, requested not to be named, said that if the police were given a free hand, and postings and transfers were made on merit, the menace of drug trade could be wiped out.

He said that eight to 10 per cent people among the criminals were drug addicts.

DHQ Hospital Dr Maqsood Chaudhry said that youth fell prey to drug addiction mainly due to illiteracy and unemployment. In the last week of May, a seminary teacher in Khanewal, Qari Ziauddin, who was a drug addict, had tortured a seven-year-old blind student Atif to death.

Similarly, a youth had killed her wife and mother for not giving him the money for purchasing the drug.

A police source said that over a dozen cases had been registered in 16 police stations of the district.

When contacted, district officer (excise) Muhammad Aslam Khera said the use of injections and syrups by the addicts had witnessed an alarming increase.

He said the only inspector of the Excise department could not check the menace because these injections were being sold in the market under license and were easily available to addicts.

Vehari DPO Asher Hameed said the police were trying to check the drug addiction with the help of other departments. He said the police was committed to fighting the menace and creating maximum awareness among the people about the drug abuse.

According to official sources, the Vehari police arrested 653 drug pushers and registered 630 cases against them during the last five months.