The residents of Janikhail district of Paktika province said the number of drug addicts has recently surged in the town and they include police and women as well.
Counter-Narcotics Department Director Omaid Malak acknowledged the number of drug addicts had increased in Janikhail. “The cultivation of poppy in Janikhail is zero but still the number of addicts is on the rise,” he said.
Malak said most of the addicts were those who had returned from Pakistan and Iran and also those involved in drug business.
However, he said a joint commission comprising tribal elders and security officials had been created and tasked with spreading awareness about the hazards of drugs.
Police spokesman Shah Mahmood said that police had launched “a serious campaign” against drugs.
He acknowledged some policemen were addicted but added eight smugglers had been arrested by police in the past one month.
Earlier, the appellant attorney office of Paktika accused police of their involvement in smuggling, selling and buying of drugs.
Follow TKG on Twitter & Facebook
