Rising drug trade in Karachi’s Ibrahim Hyderi alarms residents

ISLAMABAD: Ibrahim Hyderi, a city with a population of approximately 150,000, is grappling with a severe drug addiction crisis and has become a refuge for narcotics peddlers, sellers, dealers, and retailers.

These alarming revelations have been documented in a complaint written by a resident of Ibrahim Hyderi to high-ups, and subsequently taken up by the Senate Standing Committee on Interior in a recent meeting.

The complaint and the police report presented to the committee are exclusively available with the Hum Investigation Team (HIT).

The complaint states, “Almost 40,000 doses of heroin are sold in Ibrahim Hyderi every day, and alcohol is readily available, akin to street food, due to the drug mafias operating in the area.

It said that residents from Defence, Clifton, and surrounding areas frequently flock to Ibrahim Hyderi in search of drugs and ‘Kachi Sharab’ (liquor).”

The resident named, Usman Ghani, had addressed a letter to top officials, urging them to take substantial action against the proliferation of drug-related activities.

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He had emphasized that women and children in the area are now falling prey to the influence of drug dealers. “Not only are their moral values compromised, but their futures are also being jeopardized, and their lives are spiraling into ruin,” he said expressing his dismay at the lack of effective action by relevant authorities against the culprits behind these nefarious operations.

He recalled that, in 2021, over 50 individuals from the area formally requested action, providing their signatures and ID card numbers, yet no concrete measures were taken. During that time, he said the number of drug dealers in the area was estimated to be around 50 to 55, but it has since surged to an alarming figure of over 500.

Ghani has expressed his personal apprehension about the operation’s impact on his family and other families in the neighborhood. He has revealed that fear pervades the community, leading many residents to relocate.

Ghani has also voiced suspicions that influential figures within government and state institutions are involved in these illicit activities, preventing decisive actions against drug dealers.

The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for the Malir District in Karachi presented a report to the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, detailing the combined operations and raids aimed at apprehending narcotics peddlers, sellers, dealers, and retailers in Ibrahim Hyderi.

Committee members, however, expressed their exasperation stating that they had summoned the DIG Karachi region for the meeting but he sent his junior officer to the brief the panel on such a sensitive issue.

The committee observed that the lives of the residents had been at stake but the police were showing lackadaisical attitude to the matter. The committee directing the DIG to show up at the next meeting postponed the matter till then.  

According to the police report, 89 cases were registered against peddlers, sellers, dealers, and retailers, resulting in the arrest of 106 individuals. These operations yielded significant drug seizures, including 138 kg of cannabis, 338 g of heroin, 1308 g of crystal meth, 295 g of Tanzanian marijuana, and 7 liters of homemade liquor.

In the report, the police said that it is imperative that the police in District Malir initiate comprehensive combing operations across police stations and employ informants to gather information about those involved in the narcotics trade.

 “A concerted and decisive operation against drug trafficking, with the cooperation of all relevant agencies, intelligence institutions, government departments, and other bodies, remains the only viable solution to eradicate drug trafficking in Ibrahim Hyderi once and for all,” the police report said.

Sources said that drug mafias have resorted to using online apps for drug transactions, and the police struggle to combat their influence effectively.