Annual report: ANF enhances its capabilities in war against drug trafficking

The year-2017 has witnessed registration of 1063 cases with 1204 arrests of persons involved in drug trafficking under a special campaign launched to curb the menace.

Presenting a brief account of professional performance of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), official sources on Sunday said during the year, out of 786 decided cases, 753 cases met conviction, making 96 per cent successful conviction rate.

The sources said the force also seized 31811.85 kg Opium, 7132.2 kg Morphine, 19568.615 kg Heroin, 100436.353 kg Hashish, 386.149 kg Cocaine, 1881.901 kg Amphetamine, 35.893 kg Methamphetamine, 22.768 kg Ecstasy tablets, 13.805 kg Xanax tablets, 9.413 kg Diazepam tablets, 73.5 kg Prazolam tablets, 57.027 kg Cannabis and Precursor chemical comprising 917.5 liter Acetic Anhydride, 50594.8 liter Sulfuric Acid, 4130 liter Hydrochloric Acid and 715 liter Acetone during the period.

Moreover, this year ANF has frozen assets worth Rs 933.42 million, out of which Rs 21.14 million have been forfeited and Rs 0.582 million realized.

The sources said ANF has undertaken 332 drug abuse prevention and awareness raising activities throughout the country in year 2017.

Regarding drug treatment facilities, the sources said that in addition to existing 145-bed drug treatment facilities at Islamabad, Quetta and Karachi, ANF was expanding this facility to 178 more beds at Karachi, Sukkur and Peshawar including establishment of 48-bed female and juvenile drug treatment ward within existing Model Addiction Treatment & Rehabilitation Center (MATRC) at Karachi.

ANF has provided free drug treatment to 697 drug addicts at its drug treatment centers in year 2017, the sources said and highlighted up-gradation of ANF Balochistan in respect of deployment, intelligence ability, technical capability and mobility with special focus on Gwadar in view of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The sources said that menace of drugs was one of the most damaging and life crippling threat for society and ANF was striving for its absolute elimination to achieve goal of drug free society.

Meanwhile, listing the steps taken by Anti-Narcotics Force to control smuggling of narcotics in the country, the sources said that number of ANF police stations have been increased from 25 to 29 while deployment of ANF personnel has been made at all international airports, seaports and dry ports to counter narcotics trafficking through passengers and goods.

The ANF launched campaign/crackdown against drug peddlers, destroyed poppy crops in coordination with provincial governments and FATA administration. The other steps were establishment of canine units (sniffer dogs) at each regional directorate (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, North, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan), capacity building of ANF officials and other law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) through training and provision of equipment for counter narcotics activities.

Coordination and liaison with schools, colleges, universities have been increased to check rise of drug addiction amongst students while area around educational institutions were being monitored on regular basis to stop/counter sale of drugs to students by peddlers/suppliers.

Use of CCTV cameras has been introduced for effective profiling of passengers at all airports. Regional directorates of ANF have also been directed to take stringent measures to monitor trafficking and use of synthetic drugs.

With regard to diversion of precursors for manufacturing of narcotics drugs, an elaborate SOP has been formulated and being implemented in letter and spirit while pre-export notification (PEN) online system is in practice to have check on misuse/diversion of precursors.

The sources said ANF was striving hard to control drugs trafficking. Unprecedented and record seizures are indication of ANF’s resolve to combat menace of drugs. Its achievements in seizures of narcotics are appreciated by world community.