MIANWALI, Dec 10: Graveyards, bazaars, bus stands, railway stations and other public places are swarming with addicts. Commonly known as Jahaz, they do not beg for a rupee or two but ask for a five-rupee note.

New addicts have devised unique methods of collecting funds in the name of religion. Wearing colourful turbans, they carry small tin boxes inscribed with Urdu words Chanda brai zeerey tameer masjid (donation for an under-construction mosque). They could be seen receiving money in buses. Hashish is also being smoked in cigarettes, but it is not considered harmful or condemnable.

Places like Kamarmishani, Kalabagh, Daudkhel, Thathi, Paikhel, Swance, Musakhel and Shahbazkhel are regarded as haunts of heroin addicts. In these villages, every third house is believed to be stuck in the quagmire of heroin menace. At some places, women and children have also become victim.

Mianwali is regarded as a gateway to narcotics because a big chunk of drugs passes through this area. It is ideal for trafficking because its boundaries touch four districts of the NWFP — Bannu, Kohat, Lakki Marwat and D.I. Khan. Moreover, there are many short cuts in the Salt Range mountains which lead to the tribal agencies and beyond to Afghanistan.

Through these hidden routes, the contraband including drugs are smuggled. Heroin, charas and opium are brought by men called ‘carriers’. They carry up to 20kg load in the mountains. They never pass near the inhabited places. Two guards carrying sophisticated weapons travel ahead and two at the back of the caravan. In case of any encounter with the law-enforcement agencies or with robbers, they provide a cover to the carriers and help keep the consignment intact.

These carriers deliver the goods at Kamarmishani or at some appointed place in Katcha (River Indus belt). From here the smugglers take them to nearby notorious places like Daudkhel, Mochh, Rokhri and Shahbazkhel. Some influential smugglers use the road route over Jinnah Barrage while the others use the dangerous route of Indus River. From here, the drugs are sent to different parts of the country, but a big quantity is consumed locally.

Drug peddlers use different tactics to trap people to make them addicts. Recently, they offered an Eid gift to old addicts of one-gram heroin packet for selling four packets. Earlier, this concession was for selling 10 ‘puris’. This ugly practice has turned into a lucrative business. Many so-called notables have made millions through this business.

Shahbazkhel village is hardly five kilometres from here, but it is called “Sohrab Goth of Mianwali”. Police use to raid it intermittently, but to no avail. The smugglers in order to send their consignments outside the district take the help of young educated jobless people.

The ouster of the Taliban government in Afghanistan caused a tremendous increase in drug products. During the Zia regime, almost all drugs were sent to other countries. Now they are being consumed locally. Police officials could not remain aloof from this lucrative business, and they receive the lion’s share.

In a recent meeting, District Police Officer Dr. Shakeel Ahmad admitted that this business was flourishing with the connivance of some blacksheep in the police. According to the DPO, the drug-mafia has a strong nexus with all anti-narcotics departments. He, however, denied the involvement of politicians in this heinous business. He suggested setting up of drug rehabilitation centres, provision of healthy activities to young people and imposition of stringent punishment. He admitted: “The police arrest addicts. They can’t be spared as they commit all sorts of crimes only to satisfy their urge of inhaling heroin powder”.

Central Jail deputy superintendent Raza Mahmood says jails are training institutes for the addicts. Once they are brought in, they leave after having a mastery of crime.

This year, the Mianwali police registered 682 cases of narcotics in which 709 accused were arrested. The police recovered 615.241kg charas, 7.607kg heroin and 19.4kg opium from them. The big catches include the ones at Kamarmishani on May 17, 2003, and July 4, 2003, when the police seized 162kg charas and nine kilo opium. Arrests were made on an information by rivals, but the police hardly bothered to pursue the destination of the drugs.