KHYBER: Regular raids by law enforcement agencies on drug outlets in local markets have forced most of the dealers in Khyber tribal district to quit this illegal trade, according to sources.

They said that the illegal business of drug peddling, especially heroin, was on the decline in the region as the ‘commodity’ had become very expensive while at least 65 per cent of heroin dealers had stopped selling the contraband.

Sources said that prices of different illegal drugs, particularly heroin, registered a marked increase during the last five years in Khyber owing to some strict measures adopted by law enforcement agencies.

Responding to the queries of this scribe from undisclosed locations, the drug dealers said that price of per kilogram heroin went up to Rs4 million from its previous prices of Rs400,000 to Rs500,000 some five years ago. Its price ranged between Rs1.8 million to Rs2 million only a year and a half ago.

They said that most of the heroin dealers, though running their business clandestinely, could not afford the current prices and thus they stopped dealing in the illegal drug while shifting their older stuff to safe but secret locations for fear of police raids.

Police had earlier claimed that they dismantled more than 70 heroin manufacturing factories in Bazaar Zakhakhel and Shah Kas localities while some of the ‘units’ were voluntarily closed by their operators for fear of arrest.

Charas, another drug, is weighed in ‘Sair’ in local markets instead of kilogram. Its dealers say that one Sair charas was now sold at Rs100,000 in comparison to Rs55,000, to Rs60,000 some two years ago.

The dealers say that price of per kilogram ice-methane has almost doubled during the last two years. They say that one kilogram of ice-methane can be purchased for Rs300,000 to Rs400,000 in comparison to its previous price of Rs150,000 to Rs200,000.

Sources told this scribe that in comparison to heroin and charas, demand for ice increased in recent times with its dealers mostly dealing on mobile phones and constantly changing their sale points to avoid police action.

They said that alongside ice, ecstasy pills were the most sought after commodity among youth, especially students. They said that ecstasy pills were mostly provided inside or outside educational institutions for which its dealers employed local youth.

Sources said that there are about eight types of ecstasy pills with their prices ranging from Rs200 to Rs1,000 per pill.

They said that the pills were also provided to places where youth parties were arranged in different cities of the country.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2024