Anti-Narcotics Force Seizes Significant 999.603 Ton Narcotics In Five Years

The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has made significant drug seizures of 999.603 ton narcotics during last almost five years (2014 to 2018) which shows force's commitment towards making Pakistan a narco-free country.

ISLAMABAD,(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jan, 2019 ) :The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has made significant drug seizures of 999.603 ton narcotics during last almost five years (2014 to 2018) which shows force's commitment towards making Pakistan a narco-free country.

Of the total, the ANF seized 259 MT of narcotics in 2014, 210 MT narcotics seized in 2015, 240.110 MT narcotics seized 2016, in 2017 the authorities seized 222.320 MT narcotics and 68.173 MT drugs were seized in 2018.

During the period 5442 cases were registered against drug traffickers, 6,494 persons were arrested while the number of convicted cases was 2,846 and number of persons convicted was 3,466.

An year-wise data issued by Narcotics Control Division showed on Tuesday that during year 2014, the number of cases registered was 888, number of cases convicted was 333 and number of persons convicted was 422 while during year 2015, the number of cases registered was 1217, number of cases convicted was 421 and number of persons convicted was 512.

Similarly, during year 2016, the number of cases registered was 1305, number of cases convicted was 405 and number of persons convicted was 520.

During year 2017, the number of cases registered was 1177, number of cases convicted was 948 and number of persons convicted was 1142 while during first ten months of year 2018, the number of cases registered was 855, number of cases convicted was 739 and number of persons convicted was 870.

The Special Counter Narcotics Courts (CNS) of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) have disposed of 3,374 cases, of which 2750 were convicted, showing an average 92 per cent successful conviction rate.

The 2017 was a record year for prosecution during which ANF had successfully achieved 95 per cent conviction rate while during year 2018, the force has achieved 96 per cent conviction rate so far. During the period mentioned, 213 acquittal were also made.

As per data, efforts are also in hand to conduct a fresh survey on drug use in the country to ascertain total number of persons using narcotics including injecting drugs.

Ministry of Narcotics Control in collaboration with Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) would conduct the survey to get the latest estimated figures of drug addicts.

The last survey of drug addicts was carried out in 2012 and published in 2013 and as per survey report, approximately 6 per cent of population or 6.7 million persons were using any illicit drug including misuse of prescription drugs.

The province-wise details of persons addicted to drugs as per survey included: the number of any illicit drug users in Punjab was 2.9 million while 2,60,000 persons were using injecting drugs.

The number of drug users in Sindh was 1.7 million while 96,000 persons were using injecting drugs.

Similarly, in Balochistan, the number of drug users was 0.28 million and 17,000 persons were using injecting drugs while the number of any illicit drug users in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) was 1.6 million and 47,000 persons using injecting drugs.

Moreover, under international coordinated operations, the ANF has been providing assistance to international Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and on shared information a larger amount of seizures were made during the period.

The ANF provided assistance to 28 countries and major amongst them were United Kingdom (UK), Malaysia, Canada, South Africa, Indonesia, UAE, Iran, Brazil, China, Germany New Zealand, Poland, China etc.

A lot of drug demand reduction and awareness activities including walks, games/sports competitions, speech/debate competitions, lectures, seminar and workshops have been conducted under awareness campaign.

In addition to these, display of banners, steamers, panaflexes at airports, railway stations, bus stations and other important public places, advertisement in electronic and print media, playing of ANF awareness video messages on LEDs installed at airports & railway stations and other prominent places and on local cable tv channels are being organized across the country.

Likewise awareness for general public through bill boards, LEDs, steamers, banners and distribution of awareness material e.g.brochures, pamphlets and leaflets is also being arranged in different parts of country, especially major cities including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Rawalpindi through Regional Directorates of ANF Pakistan.

Cooperation of all cellular companies has been sought to forward Drug Awareness Message "Say No To Drug" to all mobile users.

Moreover, to protect our youth, Anti Narcotics Force under insight of Ministry of Narcotics Control, has been working tirelessly in coordination with other law enforcing agencies of Pakistan.

During 2018, the Ministry also conducted tripartite event entitled `13th Triangular Initiative Senior Officials Meeting' where authorities were agreed regarding establishment of Border Liaison Offices (BLOs). The event brought together counter-narcotics partners from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.