LAHORE, Feb 5: Police record says as many as 109 police officials are patronizing over 95 per cent of 761 gambling and drug dens besides brothels in the city, which are considered breeding grounds for organised crimes.
It is an open secret in police working that no gambling and drug den or brothel can be run without patronage which the record substantiates. The record cites names, places and other whereabouts of the people running dens and brothels in areas of each police station. It also mentions names, ranks and official belt-numbers of police officials patronizing these criminals.
Of the total 761 dens, 226 are being run in Cantonment police division, 267 in city division, 71 in Sadar division and 197 in Model Town division.
According to the record, two sub-inspectors and a duty officer (moharrar) of the police concerned patronize seven gambling and drug dens in Garhi Shahu. A constable, who is the right-hand man of the Mustafabad SHO, is patronizing 25 gambling, drug dens and brothels in North Cantonment.
The record says an assistant sub-inspector is patronizing 15 dens and brothels in North Cantonment. Ten dens and brothels are being run in the Defence police area.
Two ASIs and as many constables, including the right-hand man of the SHO concerned, are behind nine people, who indulge in gambling, drugs and run brothels in Ghaziabad.
Fifteen gambling and drug dens are being operated in Shalamar, seven in Harbanspura, and 13 in Mughalpura with the backing of a police official.
Fifteen dens are in Mustafabad, and 36 besides two brothels in Baghbanpura with the support of a police official, who is the right-hand man of the SHO concerned.
Ten dens are being run in Manawan with the patronage of two officials, who are the men of the SHO concerned. Five dens in Batapur are being operated with the support of two officials, who work for the SHO concerned. In Burki, 21 drug dens are being run with the support of three police officials.
The police record says that a drug den in Yakki Gate, five in Masti Gate besides two brothels are being patronized by an assistant sub-inspector. Seventeen dens and brothels in Tibbi City being run with the backing of three police officials, including duty officer of the police concerned.
Eight dens and a brothel in Bhatti Gate are being patronized by a policeman of another police station, who is the right-hand man of the SHO concerned.
Nine dens in Lohari Gate and six in Anarkali are being operated with the help of a policeman while there are seven dens in Ravi Road police area and nine dens and a brothel in Shafiqabad.
In Shahdara and Shahdara Town, there are 35 dens and brothels. Seven gambling and drug dens besides 16 other places of illegal businesses are in Lorry Adda police area, which are being patronized by three police officials, including the right-hand man of the SHO concerned.
Two officials of the city investigation police are patronizing 17 dens in Badami Bagh, 31 dens and a brothel besides four places of illegal businesses are being operated in Misri Shah with the help of three men who are close men of the SHO concerned.
In Shadbagh, there are 18 dens and a brothel besides two illegal businesses while there are 38 dens and four brothels running in Gujjarpura with the help of a police official, who is the right-hand man of the SHO concerned.
In Old Anarkali, there are 10 dens while three officials of the police concerned patronize seven dens in Mozang. There are eight dens in Lower Mall police area.
In Model Town, two brothels and a drug den are being patronized by a police official, while there are eight dens and seven brothels in Faisal Town. Four brothels and five drug dens are in Garden Town, while 11 dens and three brothels are being operated in Liaqatabad with the help of two police officials.
In Green Town, 34 dens and six brothels are being operated with the support of three police officials, while there are two brothels in Jauhar Town. Fifteen dens and nine brothels are being run in Kot Lakhpat with the help of five police officials.
Four brothels and three dens in Factory Area are being patronized by five police officials, while three dens and a brothel in Nishtar Colony are being patronized by three police officials. There are 14 drug dens in Kahna. Eleven dens and five brothels are in Ichhra, which are being patronzied by three police officials, while there are five dens in Lytton Road and two in Shadman police areas.
Three brothels and 14 dens are being operated in Gulberg and Ghalib Market, which are being patronized by two officials, who are close men of the SHO concerned and in-charge kiosk concerned. Ten dens and two brothels are in Naseerabad.
Four brothels and 22 dens in Nawankot are being backed by five police officials, including the right-hand man of the SHO concerned. Patronized by three police officials, there are 15 dens and four brothels in Sabzazar, while Gulshan-i-Iqbal has only one den.
The record says a private man, who is always seen with the SHO concerned patronizes four drug dens and two brothels in Hanjarwal. Patronzied by three officials, there are 10 dens in Islampura, while a gambling den in Gulshan-i-Ravi is being operated with the help of a police official.
In Sanda, there are 19 dens, which are being run with the support of eight police officials, while five dens and four brothels in Sherakot are being patronized by the SHO concerned and two other police officials.
A police official is behind two dens in Chuhng, while four brothels and six dens in Raiwind are being run by two right-hand men of the SHO concerned together with a private man. Two police officials facilitate the operation of 16 drug dens in Sattukatla.
Ten dens and as many brothels are in Allama Iqbal Town, while seven dens in Samanabad are being patronized by two police officials. Twelve dens in Millat Park are being patronized by two police officials.
Five dens and four brothels in Wahdat Colony are being run by four police officials, and a brothel in Muslim Town is being patronized by a police sub-inspector.
DIG/SSP: City operations police chief Aamir Zulfikar Khan in his first meeting had ordered his force to ensure closure of all the dens and submission of a report in this regard.
Newly appointed city police chief DIG Khwaja Khalid Farooq, too, wanted his force to stop operation of the dens in his first meeting, warning police officials who patronize illegal businesses of action.