Accountable for drug incidence despite 18th amendment-led cut backs in authority: Azam Swati

ISLAMABAD: Federal narcotics control minister Azam Khan Swati in a press conference Friday underscored steps taken by Anti-Narcotics Force in Kartarpur Corridor to curb possible drug peddling, ARY News reported.

Azam Khan Swati said the ministry has employed an ANF squad comprising 500 personnel across Kartarpur Corridor.

Our mission is to protect our youth from the curse of drugs, said the minister while talking to media after having monitored ANF’s approach across the corridor.

He said with the help of a consolidated plan, the ministry is looking to eradicate drug use and smuggling in the country which the minister claimed made its way via Afghanistan.

The drugs are smuggled into the country from Afghanistan, he said, adding that it is fundamentally a collective responsibility of the police, excise department, and interior ministry to restrain any such activity of drugs trickling into the streets.

Swati said following the advent of the 18^th constitutional amendment in the country federal authority has been cut back but the ministry is still frowned upon when drug incidence comes to light and we are held accountable when it’s smuggled in.

READ: 2293 kg narcotics worth US$79 million recovered in raids: ANF

It is pertinent to related here ANF said it carried out a total of 16 raids across the country recovering a total of 2293 kg of narcotics.

The narcotics watchdog claimed it detained in all its raids 15 alleged drug peddlers that it said were involved in the notorious business.

Sharing its collective national data for the raids and intelligence-based operations carried out since the last update, the anti-drug authority said it impounded eight cars allegedly involved the illicit trade of drug smuggling.