LAHORE: The Punjab police have launched a pilot project in Faisalabad to prevent horrific killings by ice (crystal meth) users following reports that the use of the drug has assumed epidemic proportions and lead a person to violence.

The Faisalabad police would treat the ice users as ‘patients’ and launch multiple activities to engage the young generation inclined towards ice addiction. They have begun a programme to enlist the students of the universities and the youngsters of the elite families, reporting high prevalence of the drug.

A senior police officer told Dawn that officers including experts of the Faisalabad police studied the investigations into some high-profile murder cases recently reported in Islamabad and Karachi. They held meetings with the vice chancellors of the universities, psychiatrists and other health professionals.

He said the gruesome murder of Noor Mukadam in Islamabad grabbed the attention of the law-enforcement agencies when it was reported that the suspect was a chronic ice user. A year after this incident, another murder of a young woman by her husband had been reported in Islamabad, he said. Initial investigation revealed that the suspect murdered his wife under the influence of ice.

In another such incident, a woman who was an ice user allegedly dismembered her husband in Karachi.

Police said a responsibility had been assigned to a team of experts of the Faisalabad police to take help of international researches on effects of ice when it was reported that its use increases violent behaviour.

“Ice (crystal meth) is methamphetamine, a member of the amphetamine family of drugs,” Faisalabad City Police Officer (CPO) Omer Saeed Malik told Dawn. He said the drug was highly addictive and linked to chronic physical and mental health problems.

The CPO said police inquiries suggested that students and youngsters, especially of the elite families, were more inclined to the addiction of ice. The students staying in hostels used it in groups and the most disturbing aspect was that they started consuming it to stay focused for exams, he said.

The Faisalabad police experts found out that many students wanted to concentrate on their studies, especially during examinations, and used ice. “This desire takes the students towards the use of ‘ice’ or crystal meth,” the CPO said, adding that later many of them failed to get rid of ice due to its addiction.

Similarly, he said, the youngsters used it for pleasure at formal gatherings. “Once people who are on meth become psychotic, they become very dangerous because of its amazing addictive power which is evident from the recent high-profile murder cases reported in Islamabad and Karachi,” he said.

Sharing statistics of the Anti-Narcotics Force, the CPO said around 27 million people struggle with drug abuse in Pakistan. “We have introduced an App (Breaking the Ice) which is available on App Store,” Mr Malik said. The purpose was to get information on the source of ice and help patients, especially students. “Any person can lodge a complaint on the App about the ice user in his surroundings. Even a student can complain about his fellow and police have devised a system/strategy to conceal the identity of the complainant,” he said.

A senior police officer has been appointed focal person who will activate the police experts to contact the ice user for his treatment. Recently, the police officers visited the Faisalabad Medical University and held a meeting with VC Prof Zafar Chaudhry to engage him for the treatment and rehabilitation of the ice drug users. After a detailed meeting, a 20-bed rehabilitation centre was established at the medical university, where the ice users would be provided complete treatment, the CPO said.

There were many other salient features of the App, he said, adding that it would also help trace/detect the source of ice supply chains to the education institutions. He said teams had been formed to initiate crackdown on ice dealers and suppliers. On successful implementation, the pilot project would be replicated to other parts of Punjab, said the CPO.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2022