ISLAMABAD - The police have apparently failed in eliminating drug dens in Dora Village where narcotics are openly sold round the clock, said sources on Monday.

Dora Village is located in precinct of Police Station Tarnool and has become the biggest market of drugs where the students of educational institutions (both males and females) and the drug peddlers use to visit regularly to purchase heroin, hashish, meth and ice heroin to supply in twin cities, they said. Police are not arresting the drug dealers who are running the drug dens, they said.

There is a strong nexus between drug mafias and some corrupt police officials due to which the street crime is also on the rise in the city, the sources mentioned.

Meanwhile, the lawyers, teachers, government officials and people belonging to various walks of life asked Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi, Director General Anti-Narcotics Force Major Gen Arif Malik and Inspector General of Police Islamabad Amir Zulfiqar Khan to take steps to wipe out the menace of drugs from Dora Village.

“The situation is alarming as the menace of narcotics has also penetrated into educational institutions. It has been found that both male and female students are using various psychoactive substances and heroin in schools, colleges and universities,” said a government officer, associated with a department responsible for public welfare. He, who wished not to be named in the story, said that besides having scores of drug dens in the federal capital, Dora Village is mother of all evils where narcotics business is exploding day and night but police, ANF and other law enforcement agencies paying no heed something that might play havoc with lives of young generation.

“I appeal the government and LEAs to conduct raids in Dora Village and to arrest the drug sellers,” he said.

A lawyer, who is associated with a firm which mostly deals with drug cases, in his interview with The Nation, said that open availability of narcotics in the federal capital is destroying our society. “IGP should order strict crackdown against drug mafias infesting in Dora Village,” he demanded.

“Tarnol police officials are hand in gloves with the drug mafia which selling narcotics in every street and nook and corner of Dora Village while big wheels of police department have closed their eyes towards the exercise,” said a local trader residing in limits of PS Tarnol.

Several actions have been taken by police against the drug dealers in the area but it made no difference, said a teacher. “In morning police pick up any drug dealer while the accused is seen moving in area in the evening as police set them free against bribe,” he alleged.

Many other people expressed their deep concerns over open sale of narcotics in Dora Village and over negligence of Islamabad police and other LEAs for not sensing their operational responsibilities to wipe out menace of drugs from Dora Village.  

When contacted the IGP Islamabad for his comments over open sale of narcotics in Dora Village, his PSO DSP Khalid Awan said that police were conducting raids in Dora Village and arresting drug dealers on monthly basis. “IG Amir Zulfiqar has adopted a zero tolerance policy against drug mafia and had seized mounds of narcotics besides arresting scores of drug peddlers in last 8 months,” he said.

Meanwhile, a police officer along with his two private accomplices picked up a notorious drug peddler and recovered heroin from his possession during a raid on a drug den but allegedly released him after receiving bribe, reliable sources disclosed to The Nation on Monday.

The police officer has been identified as Raja Adil, who is said to be posted as assistant sub inspector in Police Station Saddar Bairooni whereas the drug peddler was identified as Sana. However, the identities of the two accomplices of ASI could not be ascertained, they said.

Superintendent of Police Saddar Capt (R) Rai Mazhar pledged to hold inquiry against the accused police officer for having links with drug mafia.

According to sources, ASI Raja Adil along with two of his accomplices carried out a raid in an under-construction building at Chungi Number 20 from where they held a notorious drug peddler Sana red handed while selling heroin to the drug addicts. The troika, dressed in civvies and covering their faces with handkerchiefs, dragged the drug peddler into a private car that they had parked on Adiala Road and took Rs15,000 as bribe from him and set him free after time span of 15 minutes, they said.

Sana rushed to the drug den where he started abusing ASI Raja Adil and his accomplices for raiding and arresting him, they said. Meanwhile, two private men visited the building where they had returned heroin filled shopping bag to Sana, sources said. “I had been picked up Raja Adil because I had not been paying him money for last two weeks,” sources quoted drug peddler Sana as saying. Sources said that area people interacted with the two men of ASI asking the reason as to why drug peddler was freed and heroin was returned to him. They said that the two private men told the people that police could not take risk by detaining drug peddlers as they might die in police custody.

When contacted and shared the information with SP Saddar Capt (R) Rai Mazhar by this correspondent, he first expressed helplessness in initiating any legal action against the accused, saying, “Supreme Court in one of its verdict clearly barred the authorities from taking action against any officer facing corruption charges on any anonymous application,”

Then SP swiftly changed his stance and pledged to hold inquiry against ASI Raja Adil on a source report. CPO Capt (R) Faisal Rana could not be approached for his comments on the matter.