Rawalpindi            -       The narcotics business is flourishing in several areas of Chontra and its suburbs while police have turned blind eye towards the crime being committed round the clock.

The open sale of narcotics in areas of Chihan, Ladian, Saroba and Chura Sharif is risking the lives of hundreds of youth who are rapidly becoming drug addicts.

The narcotics in these areas is being supplied by a gang of notorious drug sellers whose information have been provided to police several times by the locals but no action was taken against them apparently because of their strong nexus with some police officials stationed in PS Chontra.

They said Chontra police had caught a narcotics laden vehicle some months ago in Chakri but released the smuggler-cum-driver against bribe.

They said the cops showed less quantity of narcotics in police record whereas sold out the remaining drugs in area through these drug peddlers. Locals have made several complaints with PS Chontra officials but no action has been taken against the drug sellers so far whereas some police officials are also sheltering the drug sellers, something seeking strong attention of Regional Police Officer (RPO) Dr Sohail Habib Tajik, City Police Officer (CPO) Muhammad Ahsan Younas and Superintendent of Police (SP) Saddar Division Zia Uddin.

“I will hold a free and fair inquiry against the cops stationed in PS Chontra and harbouring drug peddlers there,” said SP Saddar Division Zia Uddin, when contacted by The Nation. He said he is unaware about open drug sale in the areas but will take stern action against the cops found involved in the dirty game. He said no one is above the law and strict departmental action would be taken against the black sheep in PS Chontra.

Meanwhile, police raided a house and held scores of members of drug selling gangs and shifted them to police station Rawat. A case has been registered against the accused. They said earlier a furious gun battle broke out between two drug cartels in area of Saghri, the precinct of PS Rawat, for division of areas for drug selling that sent shockwaves among the residents.