THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AGAINST ILLICIT DRUG
TRAFFICKING IN PAKISTAN
Asghar Ali Yousafzai＊I. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF PAKISTAN
Pakistan is located in South Asia and is at the junction of Central Asia and the Middle East, which gives its
location great significance. Pakistanʼs total land border is 6,774 kilometres long, and it borders four countries.
While surrounded by land from three sides, the Arabian Sea lies in the south. On the north-east side, Pakistan
shares a 500-kilometre-long border with China, and, on the eastern side, it has a 2,912 kilometre border withIndia. The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is called the Durand Line and is 2,430 kilometres long.
The border between Pakistan and Iran is also called the Pakistan-Iran Barrier and is 909 kilometres long. The
Arabian Sea is located south of Pakistan with a coastline of 1,046-kilometres. The Arabian Sea also serves as
an important trade route between Pakistan and other countries.

II. CURRENT SITUATION OF ILLEGAL DRUG TRAFFICKING IN PAKISTANThe Golden Crescent is the name given to the principal area of illicit opium production located at thecrossroads of Central, South, and Western Asia. The Golden Crescent covers three countries̶Afghanistan,Iran and Pakistan̶whose mountainous peripheries define the crescent. Afghanistan is the worldʼs largest
producer of hashish and opiates. The majority of opium produced in Afghanistan comes from Kandahar andHelmand provinces.
Due to the ongoing continuous war over the last four decades, Afghanistan has become the global
epicentre of poppy cultivation and narcotics production. This is perhaps due to the universally agreed
phenomenon that drug trafficking not only generates substantial profits for organized criminal groups, but
the illegal profit earned this way remains a major source of funding of such criminal groups and helps infinancing international terrorism. The drugs normally smuggled from Afghanistan include opium and otherpoppy products. This is due to the large-scale cultivation of poppy crops in Afghanistan in which a gradualincrease has taken place since the year 2001 till the year 2017. According to the UNODC Afghan Poppy
Survey Report 2017, the poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has increased from 7,606 hectares in 2001 to 328,000
hectares in 2017.
As Pakistan shares a common border of 2,611 kilometres with Afghanistan, the illicit drug trafficking fromAfghanistan poses a serious social, political and security problem not only for Afghanistan itself but also forPakistan and other countries of the region.

＊Senior Superintendent of Police, National Highways and Motorway Police, Ministry of Communications, Pakistan.

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III. DRUG TRAFFICKING ROUTESThe routes followed for the purpose mostly join at different border points between Baluchistan andAfghanistan, then passing through Baluchistan towards the Arabian Sea as below:
S/NoTransit Route

Exit from Pakistan

1.

Chamman-Muslim Bagh-Qila Saifullah-Loralai-DG Khan

2.

Quetta-Panjpai-Kalat-Khuzdar-Bela3.

Noshki- Kalat-Khuzdar-Bela

4.

Barabcha-GirdiJungle-Kharan-Karachi

5.

Barabcha-GirdiJungle-Kharan-Washuk-Ormara

Arabian Sea

6.

Choto-GirdiJungle-Dalbadin-Kalangor-Pasni

Arabian Sea

7.

Choto-Chagi-Girdi Jungle-Dalbadin-Kalangor-Mand/TurbatRadeeq-Jiwani

Arabian Sea

8.

Choto-GirdiJungle-Kharan-Washuk-Ormara

9.

Choto-Dalbadin-Kalangor-Mand/Turbat-Pasni/Gwadar

Arabian Sea

10.

Noshki-Kharan-Washuk-Kalangor-Pasni

Arabian Sea

11.

Barabcha-Yakmacu-Mushkel

Arabian Sea

12.

Barabcha-Chagi-Koh Sultan-Taftan

Arabian Sea

13.

Rabat-Koh Sultan-Saindak-Taftan

Arabian Sea

14.

Kani-Aminabad-Dalbadin-Kharan-Washuk-Kalangor-Pasni

Arabian Sea

Karachi
HubKarachi
HubKarachi
HubArabia Sea
Arabia Sea
Arabia Sea

IV. AVAILABLE STATISTICS
As per data obtained from the Anti-Narcotics Force, 1,177 operations were carried out against illegal
drugs/narcotics dealers in the year 2017. In these operations various narcotic drugs were confiscated. Intotal, 32,573.10 Kg of opium, 7,132.20 Kg of morphine, 19,775.915 Kg of heroine, 102,113.593 Kg of hashish and387.09 Kg of cocaine were seized during these operations, which shows that a huge amount of drug trafficking
takes place in Pakistan.
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V. CHALLENGES
The following are the main challenges faced by the LEAs in combating illicit drug trafficking:
A. Porous Border with AfghanistanAfghanistan and Pakistan have a 2,430-kilometre-long porous common border called the Durand Line. It
passes through hilly and mountainous areas. Due to the difficult terrain and tribal belt, there is uncontrolled
movement of persons across the border. The situation is further worsened due to the fact that tribal people
are residing on both sides of the border, having common social bonds and family relationships. The easement
rights conventionally exercised by Afghan peoples for movement of their goods through the Pakistan borderis another aspect of this challenge, as vehicles on their way back from Afghanistan are normally being used toimport illicit narcotic substances into Pakistan.
B. Afghan Refugees in Pakistan
Another challenge is that around 3 million Afghan refugees settled in Pakistan. Due to the unbridled
movement of these refugees in the country, they can easily roam around the entire country; thus not only is
law and order jeopardized but illegal drug trafficking is also facilitated.
C. Lack of Control on Financial Transactions
The majority of the transactions between the tribal peoples associated with narcotics trafficking and their
Afghan counterparts takes place through the hawala/hundi system. This leads to an absence of control of
unusual financial transactions that take place in the illegal trade. Under the law, Section 67 of the Control of
Narcotics Substances Act, 1997, financial institutions are responsible to report any unusual financialtransactions when there is no apparent source of income. However due to the prevalent system of
hawala/hundi this provision is almost impracticable in the area.
D. Prevalent Security Situation
Due to the war on terror in Pakistan the security situation across Pakistan is precarious. Most of the areasin the far-flung mountainous regions of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) are infested withterrorists; hence, ANF cannot operate there against the drug peddlers. Apart from FATA the situation inBalochistan is also precarious. Several sub-nationalist Baloch organizations are involved in active terrorism
against the state of Pakistan. Some of the areas through which the smuggling routes pass are no-go areas for
ANF and other Law Enforcement Agencies working for drug control.
E. Corruption within Drug Control Departments
It is an established fact that some officials in the drug control agencies are involved in corruption. These“black sheep” in collusion with the drug peddlers not only give protection to the drug peddlers, but also help
in transportation of narcotics. A case in example is the FIR dated 06-09-2015 lodged against a high-ranking
officer of Police Service of Pakistan in the Police Station Wadh District Khuzdar, Balochistan under 9(C),
CNSA-1997 on the directions of the undersigned.
F. Poor and Uneducated Populace
One of the factors facilitating the thriving narcotics business in Pakistan is the lack of literacy andprevalent poverty among the masses. The poor and illiterate youth become easy victims for transportation ofnarcotics in return for petty sums of money.
G. Rehabilitation of Drug Addicts
According to the UN report on drug addicts, there are 6.7 million people in Pakistan who are drug addicts.
This poses a serious challenge to the control of narcotics, and unless a detailed programme is implemented
for rehabilitation of these addicts, there will always be demand for drugs.
H. Lack of Modern Technology for Detection of Drugs
One of the problems in controlling drugs in Pakistan is the lack of modern expertise and state-of-the-artgadgetry.
I. Witness Protection
Witness protection is another challenge of the day. Drug trafficking is a transnational organized crime.
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People engaged in this crime are members of very powerful groups. Persons who give evidence against thesegroups are hardly available. Witnesses normally hesitate and even refuse to give testimony before the courts,
and the culprits are ultimately acquitted.

VI. LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Cognizant of the gravity of the problems connected with drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking, thegovernment has promulgated a number of laws in the country from time to time. Various Law Enforcement
Agencies (LEAs) both at federal and provincial levels, i.e. the Anti-Narcotics Force, Provincial Police, National
Highways & Motorway Police, Pakistan Customs and respective Excise and Taxation Departments of theprovinces, have been tasked under the law to take action, within their respective domains, against narcoticdrugs.
A number of statutes have been enacted from time to time to deal with narcotic drug trafficking and theiruse. These include, the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1930, the Customs Act, 1969, the Prohibition (Enforcement ofHadd) Order, 1979 and Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 1997. Moreover, the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860,
the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965 and the National Highways Safety Ordinance, 2000 also contain penal
provisions for certain acts committed while under the influence of drugs. The Code of Criminal Procedure(Act V of 1898), along with the Qanoon-e-Shahadat Order, 1984, provide procedural law, in conjunction with
the Narcotics Control Act, 1997, for arrest, investigation and trial of the offenders and for procedures forarrest and seizure of the drugs.
“The Control of Narcotics Substance Act, 1997, being the latest and more exhaustive law on the subject ofnarcotics as compared to the other laws and by virtue of sections 74 and 76 of the Act, ibid, its provisions
have overriding effect on any other law for the time being enforce”1. Therefore, the legal framework available
under this Act is discussed hereinbelow:

VII. CRIMINALIZATION OF ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING
Illicit drugs or narcotic drugs under section 2, clause (s) of the Control of Narcotics Substance Act, 1997
refers to coca leaf, cannabis, heroin, opium, poppy straw and all manufactured drugs. This law has further
defined these substances and their derivatives in detail under the respective clauses of the section. For
instance clause (t) of the section has defined opium which, as per the said provision, means “poppy straw thatis to say, all parts of the poppy plant (Papaver Someniferum or any other species of Papaver) after moving,other than the seeds and includes the spontaneously coagulated juice of capsules poppy which has not been
submitted to any manipulations other than those necessary for packing and transport. This definition also
includes any mixture with or without natural materials of any of the above forms of opium including a
mixture containing more than 0.2% morphine”2. The law has further defined opium derivatives.
The Control of Narcotics Substance Act, 1997 has not only imposed a prohibition on the cultivation of
narcotic plants, possession of narcotic drugs etc. Import or export of narcotic drugs and trafficking or
financing the trafficking of narcotic drugs etc., owning, operating premises or machinery for manufacture of
narcotic drugs, acquisition and possession of assets derived from narcotics offences and adding abetment or
association in narcotics offences under section 4, sections 6, 7 and 8, 10, 12 and 14 of the Act but has also
provided punishments for these crimes, respectively, under sections 5, 9, 11, 13, 15 and 16 of the Act.3

VIII. PROCEDURE FOR SEARCH AND SEIZURE ETC. IN NARCOTIC DRUG
OFFENCESThe Control of Narcotics Substance Act, 1997, contains both substantive as well as procedural law. The
relevant sections referred to above are substantive provisions for crimes of illicit drug trafficking while
Chapter-III of the Act, comprising of sections 20 to 35, deals with procedural matters including arrest, search,seizure, undercover and controlled delivery operations etc. Section 20 of the Act relates to the powers of the2000 Pakistan Criminal Journal 1222.
Section 2, (s), Narcotics Control Substance Act (Act No. XXV), 1997.
3
The Control of Narcotics Substance Act (Act XXV) of 1997.
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Special Court constituted for the purpose under this Act to issue warrants for arrest of any person whom it
has reason to believe committed an offence of illegal illicit drug trafficking etc. The power of the Special
Court under this provision is to issue search warrants both during day- or night-time. The law under section
21 also empowers police officers not below the rank of Sub-Inspector to enter any building, place or premises
etc. for the purpose of search and to effect seizure and arrest without any warrant, if he has knowledge orinformation that a controlled substance in respect of which an offence is punishable under the Act and that awarrant for arrest or search cannot be obtained against the suspect without affording him an opportunity forthe concealment of evidence or to facilitate his escape. In such circumstances, he enters into the building,place, premises or conveyance and breaks open any door and removes any other obstacle to such entry incase of resistance and is empowered to seize such narcotic substances. However, such powers conferred onpolice officers by the Act are subject to certain conditions, as held by Special Court decisions. In one such casethe honourable Court held that:
Search and seizure proceedings by obtaining a search warrant was a rule and exercise of unusual
power to effect search without warrant was an exception. Conscious application of mind needed onpart of officer to effect search or arrest without a warrant as to possibilities of escape or concealmentof evidence on part of the offender. Provision of section 21, (2) of Control of Narcotics Substances Act,
1997 required that before or immediately after taking any action under section 21, (2) of the said Act,officer concerned must record grounds and the basis of his information and proposed action andforthwith send a copy thereof to his immediate superiors. Such safeguard was provided to prevent
abuse of extraordinary powers.4
Section 24 of the Act also provides for undercover and controlled delivery operations. This provision isaddressed below.

IX. UNDERCOVER AND CONTROLLED DELIVERY OPERATIONS
Section 24 of the Act deals with undercover and controlled delivery operations. This provision lays downthat, subject to the conditions laid in the said section, the Federal Government may give approval in writing
to controlled delivery operations, for the purpose of gathering evidence in Pakistan or elsewhere relating tothe commission of any offence against this Act or similar law of a foreign state. The controlled delivery is
carried out through properly designed operations to give opportunity to intending criminals engaged, orabout to engage, in illicit drug trafficking to manifest that conduct or provide other evidence of it.

X. DISPOSAL OF PERSON ARRESTED IN ARTICLES SEIZEDSection 27 of the Act provides procedures for disposal of a person and articles seized. Under the said
provision, persons arrested and articles seized have to be forwarded without delay to the Special Court
having jurisdiction.

XI. PRESUMPTIONS OF INTENT IN TRAFFICKING AND POSSESSION OFILLICIT ARTICLES ETC.
The law presumes under section 29 of the Act that whenever any narcotic drug, psychotropic substanceor controlled substance, including cannabis, coca or opium poppy plant, is growing on any land cultivated bysuch persons, any apparatus designed or adopted for the production or manufacture of any narcotic drugs,
psychotropic substance etc. for which such person fails to account satisfactorily is presumed to havecommitted an offence under the Act. However, the presumption laid down under this provision has been
subjected to certain qualifications by the honourable Court, particularly in light of the fundamental rights ofcitizens provided under Article 14 of the Constitution.5

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1999 Pakistan Criminal Law Journal, 1033.
2000 Pakistan Supreme Court Cases (Criminal) Supreme Court (Pak) 792.

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XII. CONFISCATION OF ARTICLES AND PROCEEDS OF ILLICIT DRUG
TRAFFICKING
Irrespective of whether an accused person is convicted or acquitted during trial of an offence, the Special
Court has been empowered by section 33 of the Act to decide whether any article frozen or seized is liable toconfiscation. Moreover, narcotic drug psychotropic substances are controlled substances that have to bedisposed of under section 516 (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

XIII. LEGAL IMPEDIMENTS AND PRACTICAL CHALLENGES IN COMBATINGILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING
The clandestine nature and complexity involved in identifying, tracing and seizing of the proceeds ofcrime related to narcotic drugs, Law Enforcement Agencies are facing serious challenges in this regard. Dueto the procedural technicalities involved in the trial of offenders, conviction of such criminals is also achallenge for Law Enforcement Agencies and the prosecution. The challenge is further aggravated by theongoing Afghan war for the last four decades. The war has virtually turned Afghanistan into a global
epicentre of poppy cultivation and narcotics production. Afghan drugs pose a serious social, political andsecurity problem not only for Afghanistan itself but also for its neighbouring countries. Because Pakistan
shares a common border of 2,611 kilometres with Afghanistan, Pakistan has thus become the major victim
and major transit country for Afghan opiates and hashish.

XIV. CONCLUSION
Given that generally the motive behind illegal drug trafficking is to pursue financial gain, which not only
generates substantial profits for organized criminal groups, the illegal profits remain the major source offunding of such criminal groups and their activities which in turn lead to the growth of their illegitimate
business sphere. Resultantly, the profit earned through such businesses penetrates into the legally operated
business sphere and eventually impairs integrity and stability of the economic and financial systems aroundthe globe. The linkage between illegal drug trafficking and financing of international terrorism has made theissue more troubling for the entire global community. Therefore, more effective strategies need to be devised
through inter-agency coordination both on the national and international levels. Moreover, applicable laws onthe subject need to be reviewed and updated to cope with modern-day challenges in the field.

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