Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Cross-Border Narcotics Smuggling More Dangerous Than Infiltrators

With the acceleration in the activities of Pakistan-based terrorists, a spurt has taken place in smuggling of fake Indian currency and heroin and infiltration from across the border. Owing to the existence of the strongholds of Al-Qa'ida and the Taliban on either side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, opium cultivation and its by-product heroin is flourishing as a major illegal industry, which is the biggest source of financial support to these militant organizations.

Extending Monetary Support
There are also news reports that the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and military are extending monetary support to these Pakistan-based militant organizations out of the income from narcotic products. Ever since the times of Ziaul Haq, Pakistani military officials are filling their pockets from the smuggling of heroin. According to a report of the US Secretariat of State on the international narcotics trade, smugglers push heroin to Europe enroute India.

For quite some time the Afghan and Pakistani smugglers have been pushing large quantity of heroin in collision with Indian smugglers. It is amply evident from the arrests of smugglers and recovery of huge catch of heroin at the border.

Recent Events
On 3 March: In Ajnala sector the police seized heroin worth Rs. 50 million ($1 million) from a woman smuggler and her accomplice Pammi.

On 5 March: Heroin worth Rs.2 million ($40,000) was recovered from four smugglers at Ajnala. In Tarn Taran, police carried out a raid and seized heroin worth Rs.5 million ($100,000) from smuggler Paramjit Singh.

On 6 March: At Bathinda, police seized from a gang of smugglers opium and smack worth Rs.50 million ($1 million).

On 7 March: The State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar, seized heroin worth Rs.50 million ($1 million) from three smugglers in the Khemkaran sector. Some of these smugglers suffered 13-year imprisonment for heroin smuggling.

On 13 March: Heroin valued at Rs.25 million ($500,000) was recovered from the possession of a smuggler at Chheharla.

On 18 March: Border Security Force personnel shot a Pakistani smuggler at Jalalabad area falling between the police post of Jodhewala and S.S. Walia, who was making an infiltration bid and seized from him heroin worth Rs.13 million ($260,000) and Rs.1.8 million ($36,000) fake Indian currency, apart from arms and ammunition.

On 18 March: In Amritsar, a smuggler was arrested by the state special operation cell. His name is Tehal Singh.

On 21 March: In the Amritsar sector the state Special Operation Cell after an encounter arrested five smugglers and recovered heroin valued at Rs.1.30 billion ($26 million), and one 30 bore pistol from their possession.

At Jaisalmer, the Narcotics Central Bureau seized heroin worth Rs.50 million ($1 million) from two Maoists traveling on the Inter City Express. They identified Ghani Khan and Ananad Singh who brought the contraband from Pakistan.

Infiltration by Militants
These are the consignments of heroin that were recovered by the security forces, police and intelligence agencies. In addition, there must be a large quantity of narcotics that could not be recovered. This smuggled heroin is far more dangerous than the infiltration by militants from across the border.

The infiltrator is either killed or sooner or later is killed or arrested by the police or he finds his way into the prison. But, heroin, smack and opium are such dangerous drugs that are winning the youth. Because of the addiction, they tend to indulge in crimes such as loot, robbery, etc.

Worrisome Aspect
Al-Qa'ida, the Taliban, the Lashkar-e-Taiyiba, and other terrorist organizations buy arms and ammunition with this money got from the sale of narcotics. Militants active in India also are receiving financial support from the income of smuggled narcotics through hawala (informal transaction of money) transactions. With the arrest of a couple of Maoists in the Jaisalmer sector, another fresh chapter has been added to the smuggling activity. The Naxals also have adopted smuggling as a source of income.

Another worrisome aspect of heroin smuggling is that heroin cannot be pushed into the country without the complicity, collusion, and cooperation of local smugglers as also complacency of the security forces and police. Police officials and security forces are also turning corrupt. It has, therefore, become imperative to check smuggling of heroin and to ensure that the accused are given stringent punishment. There is also the need to make necessary amendments in relevant laws to wipe out terrorism.

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