BAJAUR: Seven policemen, including a station house officer (SHO), were suspended on Saturday for allegedly providing protection to drug dealers and peddlers here in Bajaur tribal district.

A statement issued from the office of the district police officer said that the suspension orders of the cops were issued by DPO Waqas Rafique after he found them to be involved in extending protection and support to drug dealers and peddlers.

The statement said that the action was taken after a number of arrested drug dealers confessed during the investigation that an SHO of a local police station and six other policemen were protecting them after getting money from them on a regular basis.

The statement said that the drug dealers were arrested from different areas of the district.

Soon after drug dealers’ disclosures, the DPO suspended the policemen through an official notification.

The statement said that an investigation had been launched against the suspended policemen.

The statement quoted the DPO as saying that strict legal action would be taken against the suspended policemen if the allegations against them proved to be true.

The statement said that the police were fully committed to ridding the region of all kinds of drugs by continuing to crackdown on drug dealers and their supporters across the district.

It is to be mentioned here that the police arrested a number of drug dealers a few days ago.

The statement said that the arrested men were involved in the growing drug business in the district.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2024