FAISALABAD: Narcotics is a bane of society but the authorities responsible for wiping off their trafficking and use have proved unequal to the task. The role the city police and the Anti-Narcotics Force have played so far in this regard is stained with suspicion.

A number of sale points of drugs (including heroin and hash) are thriving as the newly-appointed city police officer is up against deep-rooted connections between the traffickers and the police, Dawn learnt during the course of information gathering on the issue.

Many localities are infested with drug peddlers who regularly grease the palms of police officials and union council squads. The police circles where drugs are being sold with impunity include Gulberg, Batala Colony, Saddar, Factory Area, Kotwali and Nishatabad.

The areas include Sidhupura, Christian Colony of Model Town, Razaabad, Kanak Basti, Afghanabad, Awami Colony No 2, Saeedabad, Illyas Park, Warispura, Nasir Colony on Jhang Road, Nawabanwala, Mansoorabad, Jaranwala, D-Type Colony, Mehdi Mohalla, Hajvery Town, Lorry Adda Faisalabad, Darbar Noorshah Wali, Madina Town, Tandlianwala, Mamukanjan, Yousafabad, Jhumra, Samundri, Millat Town, Mustafaabad, Nishatabad, Bawa Chak, Thekariwala, Mariamabad, Lundianwala, Sattiana, Tarkhani, Bhlak and Garh.

The city police have failed to catch a single ‘principal supplier’ in the past few years and, records show, only addicts or small sellers/carriers are named in the FIRs.

What is their modus operandi? Most of the drug suppliers have hired addicts for selling heroin and hash. The addicts receive daily allowance from Rs100 to Rs150; the police officials are well aware of the method being adopted by the peddlers.

However, the addicts mostly evade arrests as the police officials take the plea that they (addicts) land them in a difficult situation because of their deteriorating health. A policeman shared this information on the request of anonymity, saying: ‘Fearing death of addicts in our custody, we often hesitate to catch them despite seeing them selling ‘puri’ – a small packet of heroin.’

Sources said the Anti-Narcotics Force had arrested drug peddler Rana Nasrullah alias Rana Soola in Razaabad some five years ago with nearly 15 kilograms of hash. ‘However, he is still doing the trade through the cell phone he uses in the Central Jail. He is running his business with the help of his son, Zakaullah alias Kaudo, who unfailingly bribes the police station concerned,’ they revealed.

A couple of months ago the IGP had suspended a Gulberg circle DSP Saeed Ahmad Tatla on the charge of his connections with drug pushers. In another case some time ago, Regional Police Officer Ahmad Raza Tahir suspended from service Ghulam Muhammadabad SHO Naveed Murtaza Cheema on the same charge.

However, both officers were reinstated; Mr Tatla had been appointed supervisory police officer of Jaranwala and Mr Cheema was made the Factory Area police SHO after they were ‘absolved of the charges.’ Now Mr Cheema has been transferred to Chiniot (the reason is yet to be known).

City Police Officer Muhammad Tahir has meanwhile constituted a special task force to eliminate the drug sellers. Sources said it had been decided that the SHOs would be directly held responsible in case laxity is shown in the police precincts concerned. In most cases it is observed that the police register a case against peddlers under section 9-B instead of 9-C of the Narcotics Act.

The police or ANF apply section 9-A if the quantity of drug is less than 100 gram and 9-B if it is more and up to 999 gram. The offences covered by the two sections are bailable and conviction under them carries terms of imprisonment from two to five years.

However, section 9-C of the act is applied if the recovery of narcotics is 1,000 gram or above. It is a non-bailable offence and carries the maximum punishment of life-term or death sentence.

A district police spokesperson, Aamir Waheed, said the police had registered 261 cases against peddlers and more than three kilograms of heroin had been seized. Besides, he said, the police had also recovered 25kgs of hash, four kilo opium and liquor bottles. Although the police have registered 261 cases against peddlers, none of them was under section 9-C, sources added.

They said a crackdown on the illegal drug trade had been ordered and the task had been given to all police station officials.

The ANF local authorities too have not come up with strict anti-trafficking measures and they deflect the blame on the police. An ANF official said: ‘It is the duty of the local police to go after street peddlers and help the ANF in tracing their further links. It has never happened and the ANF has to take action on its own.’

He didn’t stop short of alleging that ‘it’s impossible to continue the drug trade without the police support.’