The third High Power Monitoring Committee meeting, chaired by Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Provincial Minister for Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control, was held at the office of the Directorate General of Narcotics Control Sindh. The meeting gathered key officials from various departments to review progress on efforts to combat drug trafficking and discuss new strategies for prevention.
Attendees included Secretary of Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Muhammad Saleem Rajput, Secretary of Social Welfare Pervaiz Ali Sehar, DG Narcotics Control Sindh Aurangzeb Panhwar, Regional Director Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Brigadier Umar Farooq, Director of the Sindh Higher Education Commission Khalid Hussain Mehar, and representatives from other relevant departments such as Customs, CIA, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. A comprehensive briefing was provided by the participating agencies on their ongoing efforts to tackle drug-related issues in the province.
Brigadier Umar Farooq shared alarming trends in how drug peddlers have evolved their smuggling techniques, using everyday items like soap, shampoo, e-cigarettes, food products, and even car air-conditioning compressors to transport illicit substances. In a notable update, DIG CIA Muqaddas Haider reported the success of Sindh Police in drug interdiction. He stated that more than 13,000 suspects had been arrested, over 10,000 raids had been conducted, and more than 11,500 cases had been registered.
The operation also led to the seizure of over 122 kilograms of ice crystals, 54 kilograms of heroin, 8,500 kilograms of hashish, 105 kilograms of opium, and over 32,000 liters of local liquor. The education department officials reported their efforts to inform the heads of all public and private educational institutions about drug trafficking, as well as the importance of preventing students from falling into drug use.
As a result, more attention is being given to educational institutions, particularly non-teaching staff, with some arrests already made in schools and colleges. Provincial Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla expressed his appreciation for the progress made by all departments but emphasized the need for further action. He urged all stakeholders to implement more concrete steps to eradicate drug trafficking and curb its spread. Chawla directed the initiation of a robust media campaign aimed at raising public awareness about drug prevention.
He also called for enhanced surveillance systems in border areas and for the establishment of a data-sharing mechanism among all departments involved in anti-drug operations.
