MIANWALI, July 22: Upper parts of the Mianwali district are infamous for smuggling and drug-trafficking. The drug peddlers from across the Punjab come here to deal in heroin, hashish and opium. Home delivery arrangements are also available here.

The drug business at Kamarmishani, Daudkhel, Ghundi, Swance Dher Umair Ali Shah, Chidro and pond area of Indus river starting from Kot Balian to Shahbazkhel and Wattakhel is flourishing. Some of the villages, including Shahbazkhel Dher Omaid, are regarded as the breeding grounds of narcotics.

Carrying drug load of 20kg each on their shoulders from Darra Adam Khel, traffickers walk through the 'secret tracks' in the Salt Mountain Range, stretching from Kamar Kamarmishani to tribal areas.

The police of these areas are fully aware of their surreptitious activities, routes and indulgence in drug peddling, but the rampant corruption among law enforcers prevent any suitable action against the outlaws.

Several times on the information provided by rival group of smugglers, the police arrested the carriers and seized consignments, but the cases were not registered against the actual drug-traffickers.

Some two weeks back, the Kalabagh police had recovered 42 kgs of hashish from the Isakhel-Kamarmishani hilly track route, but the carriers disappeared in the darkness.

Isakhel DSP Shaukat Hussain Baloch had received information about the arrival of a large consignment of narcotics through the 'secret tracks' of Isakhel. Upon this, the DSP got alerted the Kalabagh SHO who set up a picket at night. When the three carriers saw the police, they relieved themselves of narcotic consignment and started firing with Kalashnikovs. The police also returned the fire. Later, taking the advantage of darkness, the carriers disappeared in the hills.

The police have registered a case against the outlaws under sections 353 and 324. It may be mentioned that in most of the cases the police succeeded only in seizing the consignments of narcotics, but failed to arrest the culprits. The arrested narcotics smugglers have to be booked under section 9C, a crime liable to be awarded death penalty. Moreover, the police never reveal the actual amount of the confiscated contraband and it is said that some of the contraband rolls back in the market.