Rising drug-addicts linked to surge in Karachi crime, claims city police chief

KARACHI: Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon on Wednesday said that drug addicts are rising in the capital city of the province and mostly drug-related products are purchased via money acquired through criminal activities, ARY NEWS reported.

“We have witnessed a decline in criminal activities in the city whenever strict action is taken against drug-addicts,” he said while giving a briefing to the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah.

Murad Ali Shah directed the chief secretary to establish more rehabilitation centres to overcome the menace. He was briefed that Memon Abad Centre was established in the city for the rehabilitation of drug addicts.

Divulging details of action against criminal elements, he said that 908 people involved in theft activities were arrested during the past six months. “Unfortunately, all of them were released within six months,” he said.

The AIG Karachi said that 24,055 people complained to the police over street criminal activities during the period but only 2 percent of them, that is 475 people, agreed to file a case with the police.

The chief minister Sindh directed the police to upgrade the investigation branch and asked the AIG Karachi to forward a summary for a separate cadre for investigation branch if needed.

The chief minister also directed the police to upgrade 2G locators with 4G technology. The AIG Karachi was also ordered to establish a DNA database in the province and avail facility at DNA Lab in the province for the purpose.