DRIVE AGAINST DRUG BARONS PAYS OFF: 3,824KGS HEROIN SEIZED: ANF

QUETTA, Jan 4: Afghan drug barons are reportedly facing a shortage of
chemicals for processing opium into heroin, in their labs located in
Choto, some 17kms inside Afghan territory from the Pakistani border in
Dalbandin area.

This was confirmed by Brigadier Abdul Razak Baluch, Director of the
Anti-Narcotics Force, Balochistan, while briefing a big gathering of
newsmen and newspaper editors at the ANF headquarters in Quetta on
Thursday.

There was a possibility of shifting the venue of the processing plants
to southern Europe or to be more specific, Turkey, Brig Razak told the
newsmen.

The Anti-Narcotics forces impounded around 3,842kgs of heroin as
against 1,364kgs in 1999; indicating a big rise. In one of the
operations carried out near Dalbandin in May last year, the ANF
sleuths recovered 1000kgs morphine from the smugglers after a gun-battle.

The morphine was brought from Choto labs and was being smuggled to
Western parts of Balochistan when the consignment was intercepted in
Dalbandin area.

The Western countries have already taken a decision to suspend the
supply of chemicals for processing opium into heroin and the drug
barons are facing the crunch.

The ANF director gave the details of seizure of weapons along with
drugs from Afghanistan saying that 29 weapons, including
rocket-propelled guns, Kalashnikovs and LMGs were recovered from the
heavily armed drug traffickers.

Earlier last year, the ANF recovered 14 weapons.

A source gave the modus operandi of the drug traffickers saying only
carriers were operating in Balochistan while the barons themselves
were in Europe or in Afghanistan.

He said one of the drug barons from the Farah Province of Afghanistan
was arrested in a western country while others are being sought.

When asked by Dawn about the increased level of resistance by the drug
traffickers fighting prolonged battles with the ANF commandos, he
conceded that they are more desperate and using more heavy and
sophisticated weapons.

The ANF director said that there was some downward slide in drug
trafficking following successful raids and busting of the main gangs.

He confirmed that the ANF was collecting necessary information for
confiscating the property of the drug traffickers in
Balochistan.

It is a very difficult job because Balochistan has no settled
districts and revenue records are not available. However, the ANF
Director was hopeful that his team would collect the necessary
information denying the property to the culprits.