Karachi: The crop of poppy is still being cultivated in Sindh under the shelter of influential personalities of the government while dozen of small factories are also running to produce refine product, it is reliably learnt to The News Tribe.
The reliable sources in Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) told The News Tribe that acres of land in the areas, situated at the border of Sindh and Balochistan, was being used for the cultivation of poppy.
More than 150 acres land of district Shahdad Kot, Sind was being utilized for the production of poppy till 2010 including more than 50 acres of land in Toth Sargari, Union Council Kot Magsi, Taulka Qubo Saeed Khan and 35 acres in Rahu-Jo-Aatho, UC Ghaibi Dero, Tehsil Qamber, District Qamber Shahdad Kot.
Poppy is being farmed on the piece of more than 30 acres of land in Goth Sargari, Union Council Kot Magsi, Taulka Qabo Saeed Khan, belongs to a provincial minister and the land is guarded by hundreds of armed persons, sources claimed.
“More than 500 persons armed with automatic heavy weapons are on the guard duty of the land and no villager or any other person has courage to enter in the land”, said sources.
“No one even government agencies are not ready to take action against the persons, involved in this business and no attempt is made to arrest influential persons than how we can resist”, said a villager.
Intelligence agencies have submitted reports about the cultivation of poppy in Sind to the concerned authorities but no action on large scale has been taken yet.
In a report No. 5-1/2010-Dev-1 submitted during last year, it was clearly informed to the concerned that the leader of Pakistan People Party (PPP) Nadir Magsi was involve in the cultivation of poppy.
“Another site located at Goth Sargari, UC Kot Magsi has been reported for poppy cultivation. Total area under cultivation is 24 acres. The area is not accessable to common man and is heavily guarded”, said in report.
“Nadir Magsi (Provincial Minister) is the owner of this patch of land”, it is reported.
Sources further said that small factories in the homes of the villages situated at the border of Sind and Balochistan were working to produce refine material of heroin.
“More than 24 factories are being run in the border villages and hundreds of poor villagers are serving in the factories on minor salaries”, said sources.
These factories are running under the protection of influential personalities and security forces seem reluctant to take action against the factories.
“Such influential personalities regularly make visits in the border areas along with police mobiles in their protocols”, he said.
Poor villagers have been compelled to work in the factories as they have no other option to fulfill their home expensive. The villagers have been deprived from their own land and constrained to work in the factories.
“I was the owner of only a small piece of two acres of land in my village but the head of Chandio tribe snatched my land and compelled us to work on my own land as his servant”, said a villager.
The villages on the border of the two provinces are hideouts of criminal elements that are also supported by the landlords of such areas. Different tribes in these areas have created their on private armies comprising over thousands of persons.
“Each tribe like Magsi, Chandio and others has their groups comprising over thousands of persons and armed with heavy automatic illegal weapons. Any one can monitor the mortar shells, rockets, LMGs, anti aircraft guns and explosive material in the hideouts of the criminals”, sources claimed.
The market of such product is all over Sind and persons involved in this illegal trade earning billions of rupees, sources claimed and added that the price of one kg of poppy is more than 60,000 rupees while refine heroin generate millions of rupees in minor quantity of grams.
The number of drug addicts is increasing by millions in Sind. Diseases like hepatitis, HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis, are spreading fast and furiously in cities like Larkana, Sukkur, Karachi, Hyderabad.
“Our children are being pushed into addiction. Drugs are being given in their hands instead of books and the end of this ways is the death”, a villager said while talking to The news tribe.
Villagers of such areas are living in panic, created by the landlords as landlords are taking over the lands of the poor people without any fear of resistance. ANF along with Pakistan Rangers, local police and other law enforcement agencies made several attempts but failed to remove the cultivated poppy from all over Sind.
In a latest attempt about two weeks ago Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) successfully destroyed 60 acres of Poppy cultivation in a joint operation with Pakistan Rangers, Sindh and Sindh Police at village Rahu-Jo-Aatho, union council Ghaibi Dero, tehsil and district Qambar.
ANF launched joint operation after extensive coordination for destruction of poppy crop. The said village is situated at Sindh-Balochistan border which is very perilous area and likely hideout of wanted criminals.
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