PESHAWAR: The Excise Department that has been tasked to conduct operations against drug dealers across the province has 140 rifles only and runs short of ammunition to fight the narcotics mafia, a source said on Sunday.
The government empowered the Excise Department in recent years to conduct operations against the drug mafias. The force was given vehicles and seven police stations were set up in districts to go after drug dealers.
“In last five years, seven officials have sacrificed their lives. They included one sub-inspector, four assistant-sub-inspectors and two constables during operations against drug smugglers and dealers. Despite these huge losses, the Excise Department has 140 rifles only with one magazine each,” a source in the Excise and Narcotics Control Department said.
He said the force was short of ammunition and no stock was available.
“The Excise Department consists of 1700 officials, including tax staffers and cops, while there are 140 rifles with the force which is only 8 percent of the entire requirement,” the source added. He continued there was not a single bulletproof car for the force.
It was learnt 200 bulletproof jackets and helmets were provided to the Excise Department by an international organization. The department itself has not purchased any bulletproof vest for its operational staff.
After the jurisdiction of the department was expanded, seven Excise police stations were set up in Peshawar, Khyber, Mardan, Swat, Abbottabad, Kurram and Dera Ismail Khan.
“Despite growing security concerns and challenges, none of the Excise Police Station has any bulletproof vehicle, night vision thermal scopes, sniper rifles and active and long range radio communication system,” said another official.
He added that even the Shuhada Package was less than half of what was given to police.
“Shuhadas of Excise Department, who sacrificed their lives during field operations, have been paid the package of a civilian which is less than half of what police gets. A police constable, who is martyred, gets Rs10 million while an Excise constable gets Ra 4.4 million for the same sacrifice,” he said.
Many of the officers of the force were against the appointment of heads of the force from outside and wanted their own officers to be posted against the key slots. The officials of the force moved the Peshawar High Court recently against the posting of an outside official against a senior slot in Excise Police.
“Excise Department is the only force that has not got uniforms in the last five years. The cops of the force don’t get any risk allowance, ration allowance, or uniform allowance like other law enforcement agencies,” said an official.
He disclosed the patrolling vehicles of Excise Police Stations were not getting fuel.
“Besides, almost all the Excise Police Stations are situated in rented buildings throughout the province, lacking sufficient space and resources. Over 60 women officers and constabulary were recruited but a few have been posted in the field to deal with the female smugglers and other suspects,” it was learnt.
Also, there were a number of complaints made against many officials of the department for misuse of power, making assets beyond their income as well as misusing impounded vehicles for lack of accountability mechanism.
