LAHORE: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) is truly a strategic institution, striving hard to eradicate drugs business entirely to save future of the country. The ANF has adopting various practical measures to root out trafficking and peddling of drugs to keep the youth away from the menace to secure future of the nation.
Anti-Narcotics Force Punjab Commander Brig Syed Mehmoodul Hassan Shah stated this during an exclusive interview with Customs Today here.
Brig Shah discussed the history, importance, character and positive effects of the ANF and shed light on its efforts to eliminate narcotics business in Pakistan and its importance and effects at international level. He said that the ANF was truly a strategic institution whose real objective was to eradicate illicit drugs business entirely.
While talking about his policy statement he said, “The ANF is being fighting the war against drugs in Pakistan by conducting straight interdiction of drug supply in collaboration with different agencies included in Inter Agency Task Force following the approach of unity in conception, legislation and enforcement throughout the country. At provincial level, actions will be taken by the provincial police and the E&T Department. To prevent the use of drugs, the ANF and provincial governments will launch comprehensive anti-drugs awareness campaigns and will rehabilitate drug addicts.
By 2017, the ANF will be deployed in all divisions of Pakistan to eradicate the menace of drugs from grass-roots level. To execute the start off, maximum cooperation from international community in the field of equipments and funds will be sought.”
Policy statement: Retrieve and convert Pakistan into a drug-free country by 2025; empower ANF in each administrative division of the city to interdict drug supply and seek maximum cooperation from regional countries and international agencies
He further said that Afghanistan was the largest producer of opium, contributing 85 percent to the world’s total Poppy production.
According to March 2013 UN survey, the production has been recorded to the tune of 95 per cent. Pakistan is geographically located at a place where neighbouring countries use it as transit for illicit activities.
Drugs enter tribal areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and spread to Punjab and Sindh. Brig Shah said that the ANF was working vigilantly to deal with ways the foreign powers were using for their illicit activities. That’s why ANF police stations have been established in major cities of Punjab and efforts are underway to increase manpower in these stations to ensure uprooting of the social evil completely.
Brig Shah informed that the ANF personnel were present at all airports, dry ports and border areas particularly those of KPK. “Balochistan Coast Guards, Punjab Rangers and Sindh Rangers are also playing a pivotal role in countering drugs smuggling,” he revealed, adding that the ANF was playing a fundamental role in coordination with other forces through the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) of Interior Ministry. Under the leadership of Director General ANF, the Punjab Police, Customs Anti-Smuggling Wings, Airport Security Force (ASF), the Motorway Police and Railway Police have been sharing intelligence to curb the drugs trafficking.
He pointed out that the ANF had nothing to do with the drug addicts in the cities which primarily fell in the jurisdiction of local police. “The ANF is actually concerned with strategic planning to stop illicit drugs’ supply and wipe out the smugglers. By the grace of God, we have achieved success in that area, he added, adding that the ANF was honestly playing its role and striving to work more efficiently in its domain. While talking about the ASF official at Sialkot airport who was involved in facilitating smuggling activities, he said that taking strict notice of the incident ASF has fired him from the job and he is facing charges along with the other culprits. He further said that ANF’s conviction rate had always been 100 per cent and persons arrested with drugs’ smuggling have always got punished accordingly.
In Punjab, during the current year from January to June, ANF seized 29 kg heroin, 100 kg hashish and 5 kg opium in Lahore; 12 kg heroin, 93 kg hashish and 34 kg opium in Multan; 11 kg heroin and 6 kg hashish in Sialkot; 6kg hashish in Faisalabad; and 47 kg heroin and 130 kg in Mianwali.
In the same period, 79 cases were registered out of which challan was submitted against 47 cases while 32 were still under investigation. Meanwhile, in all the 34 cases decided by the CNS courts, the culprits were convicted.
Though there hasn’t been any death penalty this year, there were 14 cases of life imprisonment and 24 cases of imprisonment up to 10 years or less.
He appealed to the entire society to play their role in the elimination of the evil of drug abuse and keep a watchful eye on their family and children. He urged the people to not let the drug addicts fall at the hands of fate. Instead they should be helped to get rid of this horrible suffering. ANF has established treatment centres in various cities of the country where drug addicts are treated free of cost.