Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday directed the law enforcement agencies to further intensify their crackdown against drug dealers and smugglers following a major recovery of contraband items in Karachi’s Keamari district.
The directive was issued during a meeting at the CM House, where the South Zone police chief presented a detailed report regarding a successful operation conducted by the SITE-A police station under the supervision of the District Keamari police chief.
According to the report, police recovered a large quantity of smuggled betel nuts and Indian gutka worth approximately Rs100 million during a raid on a warehouse. The seized items included 57 sacks of betel nuts and 219 sacks of Indian gutka that had been concealed to evade detection.
Police officials informed the CM that the contraband had been secretly transported under debris and scrap loaded on a dumper truck before being shifted to the warehouse. The sophisticated method was allegedly used by smugglers to avoid law enforcement checks and surveillance.
The report further stated that legal proceedings are under way to identify the owners and operators involved in the illegal business. The authorities are collecting evidence and completing legal formalities to register a case against those responsible for the smuggling and storage of the prohibited items.
Expressing satisfaction over the successful operation, CM Shah congratulated the Keamari police team and commended their efforts in curbing the illegal trade of harmful substances. He emphasised that the government would not tolerate activities that threaten public health, particularly those targeting young people.
“Poison will never be allowed to be injected into the veins of the young generation,” the CM said while stressing the need for strict and sustained action against all individuals involved in the drug and gutka trade.
He directed police and other relevant agencies to continue intelligence-based operations and strengthen enforcement measures across the province. He reiterated the Sindh government’s commitment to eliminating narcotics, gutka and other harmful substances from society and ensuring the protection of future generations from the dangers of addiction.
Earlier this year, an important meeting of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs, chaired by the committee’s chairperson Faryal Talpur, was held at the Sindh Assembly, where detailed discussions had been held on key issues, including narcotics.
Faryal said drugs are destroying the younger generation, and every segment of society must play their role in combating this menace. She directed the police to take effective measures to eliminate drugs, and to carry out an indiscriminate and vigorous crackdown against drug mafias.
She emphasised ensuring strict and organised checking in border areas, saying that random checking should be aimed at preventing the transportation of narcotics. She also said the crackdown should be conducted in a manner that makes police a symbol of fear for drug dealers.
Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said on the occasion that work was under way to establish a special court for speedy trial of drug-related cases, aimed at ensuring exemplary punishment for the accused at the earliest.
Lanjar said that a province-wide crackdown against narcotics was ongoing, while joint camps comprising Anti-Narcotics Force, Customs, excise and police officials were active in border areas.
Sindh police chief Javed Alam Odho told the meeting that 133 suspects had been arrested in major drug cases, while 145 FIRs had been registered. He said that 107 accused were currently in jail, adding that drug mafia networks were being dismantled through systematic crackdowns, and strict action against them continues.
Later, talking to the media outside the assembly, Odho said drugs are not cultivated on a large scale in Sindh, adding that synthetic drugs also come from outside the province.
He said that there are many routes for the import of raw drugs into Sindh, adding that work is under way with other institutions on combating the drugs menace along the 600km-long border.
He pointed out that police officers are also involved in the drugs menace, and action against them was taken recently. He said they are putting their house in order, and action has also been taken against drug dealers, following which improvement can now be expected.
“We are trying to further improve our work. There are gutka factories here. Now gutka factories have been built in small rooms. Police will take action under the government’s policy.”
He admitted that action is not taken at the top level. He said police are working on the instructions of the government. “Senior police officers are also involved in this. You will see that strict action is being taken. It is suggested that drug tests also be conducted.”
