DERA GHAZI KHAN, Aug 16: Heroin is being sold openly in and around the city with the alleged connivance of the police and the influential figures of the areas. The residents of the localities concerned allege that their complaints to the district police higher-ups have fallen on deaf ears as a result of which the drug barons are sunning their business without any let or hindrance.

A survey conducted by Dawn reveals that the illegal business is being run in Block No 50 near the city police station, near the Saddar police station and adjacent to the B-division police. Commonly known as white death powder, it is being sold openly.

A heroin dealer told Dawn on the request of anonymity that he and other dealers in and around the city greased the palms of the police to run the business. He said the sub-dealers were linked with the main dealers in Shah Saddardin (Khosa-dominated area in Dera Ghazi Khan tehsil).

The area is notorious for contrabands.

The sale of heroin in many other areas, including Choti Zaireen, Sakhi Sarwar and Kot Cchuta, too is on the rise and the law enforcers are playing the role of silent spectators.

When contacted, Shah Saddardin union council nazim Abdul Qadir Khosa told Dawn that he had time and again conveyed his concern to the DPO about the sale of contraband in his area but to no avail.

DPO Suleman Chaudhry said the police had planned to launch crackdown on the heroin tradesmen who would soon be apprehended. He, however, had nothing to say about the allegation that the entire network was being sheltered by the police.