ANF Cracks Down on Southern Punjab Drug Trafficking Ring Targeting Students

The Anti-Narcotics Force successfully dismantled a major drug trafficking network in Southern Punjab, targeting students through social media and e-commerce. Suspects were apprehended, and a significant amount of drugs were seized. The ANF's ongoing campaign seeks to combat drug use in educational institutions nationwide.

The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has successfully dismantled a significant drug trafficking network in Southern Punjab, which was distributing illicit substances to students via social media and e-commerce platforms. This operation specifically targeted a network run by two brothers heavily involved in the large-scale distribution of party drugs aimed at students, as reported by the Express Tribune.

Acting on intelligence reports, the ANF apprehended the suspects and seized a substantial quantity of drugs, including 1,500 ecstasy pills, 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine (ice), and 2 kilograms of cannabis. ANF officials disclosed that the arrested individuals organized drug-fueled rave parties at various homes and hotels in Multan, specifically targeting students residing in hostels for their sales. This crackdown is part of the ANF's ongoing campaign against drug smuggling operations that infiltrate educational institutions, with the goal of exposing and prosecuting students involved in such illicit activities.

In line with this effort, the ANF launched a nationwide initiative this month aimed at combating drug abuse within educational settings. The chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and various educators and students in the federal capital have acknowledged the escalating issue of narcotics consumption among college and university students, as reported by the Express Tribune.

A study conducted by the ANF in 2022 revealed alarming statistics: approximately 53 percent of students in Pakistani universities and colleges had encountered drugs, with around 27 percent admitting to having used them. HEC Chairman Mukhtar Ahmed recognized that drug use is increasingly becoming a widespread issue on campuses.

Earlier in the month, the ANF executed 11 operations across the country, seizing a total of 437 kg of drugs valued at PKR 80 million and apprehending nine suspects. In a separate incident in Kalabat, Town Bypass, Haripur, 3.6 kg of hashish was confiscated from one of the detained individuals, who confessed to supplying drugs to students at various educational institutions. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)