KARACHI: Police arrested on Thursday a US-educated man found involved in selling drugs to youths in Clifton and Defence for the last five years, according to South SSP Sarfraz Nawaz.

Speaking at a press conference and later talking to Dawn, the SSP said the suspect, Mohammed Adeel alias Vicky, was arrested in the Badar Commercial area. He has earned a bachelor degree from a prestigious university of the United States.

After graduating from the US, he returned to Karachi and started his garment business. However, in 2008, he “mistakenly” gunned down a man and was arrested on charges of murder. He was sent to prison from where he was released in 2013.

During the incarceration, he made friends with drug suppliers inside the prison and himself became an addict.

After being released from prison, he started selling cocaine initially in Clifton and DHA as his garments business had flopped.

As cocaine was an “expensive” drug, he later on started selling the drug ice with the help of drug suppliers.

The South SSP revealed that the suspect was earlier arrested twice on charges of drugs by law enforcers in the recent past.

On his tip-off, the police arrested two more suspects involved in selling drugs. There were 20 to 25 people allegedly involved in selling such contraband to children of rich families living in Clifton and Defence and efforts were under way to arrest them, police officials said.

Meanwhile, Clifton SP Tauqeer Muhammad Naeem told Dawn that for the last two months, South police under directions of IGP A.D. Khowaja and South DIG Azad Khan had launched a campaign titled ‘Saving generations from drug culture.’

During this campaign, around 30 suspected drug suppliers and dealers, including women, have been arrested.

Besides, the police with the help of academic institutes located in Clifton and Defence have also launched a ‘counselling session’ for educated youths. The first such session was held at a university recently while another was expected on Friday (today).

The Clifton SP said that initially the youth tended to consume mostly cocaine and ice for excitement and pleasure but later became habitual.

Cocaine per gram costs Rs10,000 to Rs15,000 while ice is being sold at Rs1,000 to Rs1,500 per gram.

The Clifton SP said the arrested suspect, Adeel, had done an MIS (management information system) from the University of North Carolina.

During initial probe, Adeel told the investigators that he had around 100 to 150 customers, both male and female, in Clifton and Defence and he earned hundreds of thousands of rupees through drug business.

However, the Clifton SP said the held suspect “regretted” his involvement in drug business.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2018