A senior official in the Pakistan government has admitted that Pakistani smugglers are using drones to smuggle illicit drugs, mostly heroin into Indian territory. Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, the Special Assistant on Defence to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made these remarks to Hamid Mir, a journalist associated with Pakistan's Geo News. Mir has posted a video on his Twitter handle of the interview with Khan, who is also the Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) representing Kasur city, which borders the state of Punjab in India. The Pakistani journalist tweeted on July 17, "Big disclosure by PM's advisor Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan. Smugglers using drones in the flood-affected areas of Kasur near Pakistan-India border to transport heroin. He demanded a special package for the rehabilitation of the flood victims otherwise victims will join smugglers." When the journalist asks the special advisor to Pakistan PM about the issue of cross-border smuggling of narcotics in Kasur he affirms the development. "Sure, it (smuggling via drone) is happening and it is very unfortunate. Recently there have been two incidents where 10 kg of heroin was tied to each drone and thrown across. Agencies are working on it." Indian security forces have brought down a number of drones in recent times carrying contraband. In April this year, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said that security forces have taken many counter-measures to tackle incidents of dropping of weapons and drugs by drones sent by Pakistan. Earlier this month, on July 21, BSF and Punjab Police troops recovered a drone in broken condition from the farming field near Mastgarh village in Punjab's Tarn Taran district. On specific information, BSF and Punjab Police launched a search operation and recovered the Pakistani drone from the outskirts of Mastgarh village. "The recovered drone belongs to Quadcopter, DJI Matrice 300 RTK model," officials said. Earlier, the Border Security Force (BSF) foiled the nefarious design of smugglers by seizing 2.35 kg of heroin dropped by a Pakistani drone near the International Border in Punjab's Tarn Taran district. During the detailed search, the BSF troops recovered one packet of narcotics suspected to be heroin weighing 2.35 kg wrapped with yellow adhesive tape from the farming field ahead of border fencing. On June 29, BSF troops recovered approximately 5.120 kg of suspected heroin dropped by a Pakistani drone near the International Border in farming fields of Village- Khalra in Tarn Taran district. Earlier, on June 24, the troops of the BSF shot down a Pakistani drone that had intruded into the Indian airspace in Punjab's Tarn Taran sector. Also, the BSF shot and brought down a Pakistani drone in Punjab's Tarn Taran district. On June 22, the BSF in Punajb's Fazilka recovered a drone originating from the Pakistan side and two packets of suspected narcotics near the Abohar border. "On specific information, alert BSF troops recovered a Pakistani drone (DJI Matrice 300 RTK) on June 22, during morning hours along with 2 kg (appx) suspected heroin near the international border in Jodhawala village of Fazilka district," BSF Punjab Frontier said. BSF personnel in Rajasthan's Bikaner recovered a drone originating from the Pakistan side and two packets of suspected narcotics near the Rawla border. Source: The Hindu

A testing program shows a string of new psychoactive substances in widespread use across the globe. Scientists believe criminals are developing substances slightly altered from illegal drugs to stay ahead of the law. An Australian-led team found new psychoactive chemicals — with similar effects to known street drugs — in wastewater from 16 countries, new research shows. The substances are drugs adapted to mimic the effects of established illicit drugs while evading legal restrictions that, in many countries, are tied to specific substances and chemical compositions. What the team discovered The University of Queensland-led team analyzed samples in 47 cities in Europe, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, China, Brazil and South Korea over three consecutive New Year periods from 2019 to 2022. They detected 18 new substances that were analogous to mind-altering street drugs but with slight alterations to their chemical structure.  "These substances are synthesized to replace banned substances, which means they have a slightly different molecular structure to stay ahead of the law," Bade said. "They are generally manufactured in smaller quantities than traditional illicit drugs, making it difficult for law enforcement to control the circulation." What types of substances were they? The survey showed so-called new psychoactive substance (NPS) use across the globe, but uncovered strong regional trends. Synthetic cathinones — chemically related to the cathinone stimulant found in the khat plant — were the most prevalent class of NPS. One such chemical, 3-methylmethcathinone, was found in particularly high levels in Europe — especially in Spain and Slovakia. It was only found in Europe the first year, but spread to North American and Oceania subsequently. Also prominent were phenethylamines, which can have a similar effect to amphetamines, and designer benzodiazepines. The team found seven new psychoactive substances in Australia alone — mephedrone, ethylone, and eutylone — which all have a similar effect to ecstasy or cocaine. In the United States, the plant-based painkiller mitragynine was found in particularly heavy loads. The US Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly warned of the dangers of the plant, kratom, but mitragynine is not currently federally regulated.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 39 people on charges of selling and consuming drugs from different areas in the capital. During the operation, 8332 pieces Yaba, 2 kg 219.5 grams Heroin, 7 kg 735 grams Cannabis were seized. As part of regular anti-narcotics operation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police conducted operation in various areas of the capital from February 11,2023 to today 6 am in the morning. Under the Narcotics Control Act,  31 cases have been registered against the arrested in the concerned police stations.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) crime and intelligence department arrested 41 people on charges of selling and consuming drugs in different areas of the capital. During the arrest, 910 pieces of Yaba, 151 grams of heroin, 30 intoxicating injections, 8 kg 245 grams of cannabis were seized from them. As part of regular anti-narcotics operation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police conducted operation in various places in the capital from 6 am. in the morning (Thursday, February 6) to 6 am. today. Under the Narcotics Control Act, 31 cases have been registered against the arrested in the concerned police station.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) crime and intelligence department arrested 70 people on charges of selling and consuming drugs in different areas of the capital. During the arrest, 824 pieces of Yaba, 160.25 grams 20 Puria heroin, 79 kg 95 grams of Cannabis, 20 intoxicating injections, 6 liters of liquor and 72 bottles of phensedyl were seized from them. As part of regular anti-narcotics operation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police conducted operation in various places in the capital from 6 am. in the morning (Thursday, January 26) to 6 am. today. Under the Narcotics Control Act, 52 cases have been registered against the arrested in the concerned police station.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) crime and intelligence department arrested 38 people on charges of selling and consuming drugs in various areas of the capital Dhaka. During the arrest, 1004 pieces of Yaba, 71 grams of Heroin, 10 kg of 550 grams of Cannabis, 5500 Tapentadol and 150 bottles of phensedyl were seized from them. From Monday, 23 January 6.00 am. in the morning to 6.00 am. this morning, Dhaka Metropolitan Police conducted an operation. 24 cases under the Narcotics Control Act have been registered against the arrested in the concerned police station.

Chinese drugmakers rushed to make anti-fever medicines and other treatments for Covid-19 on Thursday, after President Xi Jinping said he was worried about an influx of holiday travellers to rural areas ill-equipped to deal with sudden outbreaks. Mr Xi’s comments come just over a month after his government abruptly axed his strict “zero-Covid” controls that had largely shielded China’s 1.4 billion people from the disease for three years but sparked widespread protests in late November. As travel ramps up during the busy Chinese New Year holiday season, as many as 36,000 people could die each day from the disease, according to the latest figures from independent British-based forecasting firm Airfinity. China said last Saturday that nearly 60,000 people with Covid-19 died in hospitals between Dec 8 and Jan 12 - a roughly ten-fold increase from previous disclosures. However, that number excludes those who die at home, and some doctors in China have said they are discouraged from putting Covid-19 on death certificates. Health experts say China’s official figures likely do not reflect the true toll of the virus. “Based on the reports of hospitals being overwhelmed and long queues outside funeral homes, we might estimate that a larger number of Covid-19 deaths have occurred so far, maybe more than 600,000 rather than just 60,000,” said Professor Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at Hong Kong University. China’s chaotic exit from a regime of mass lockdowns, travel restrictions and frequent Covid-19 testing, has also prompted a run on drugs as people fend for themselves against the disease. To meet soaring demand, drugmakers in China are ramping up operations to triple their capacity to make key fever and cough medicines, the state-run China Daily newspaper reported on Thursday. China has relied on domestic vaccines to combat the pandemic, eschewing foreign-made ones which some studies have suggested are more effective, while other foreign treatments for Covid-19 have been hard to come by in China. Pfizer’s Covid-19 anti-viral drug Paxlovid is available in China but has been very difficult to obtain through official channels, according to media reports and personal accounts. Merck’s antiviral treatment molnupiravir has also been approved for use, but is not yet widely available. At a meeting this week, China’s National Medical Products Administration pledged to stabilise the prices of Covid-related drugs and crack down on counterfeit sales.  Those particularly vulnerable to the virus are the elderly, many of whom are not fully vaccinated and now face exposure as millions of urban workers travel to home towns to reunite with families for Chinese New Year holidays that officially start on Jan 21. Before Covid-19 was detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, the Chinese New Year holiday was known as the greatest annual migration of people anywhere on the planet. “China’s Covid prevention and control is still in a time of stress, but the light is ahead, persistence is victory,” Mr Xi said on Wednesday in a holiday greetings message carried by state broadcaster CCTV. “I am most worried about the rural areas and farmers. Medical facilities are relatively weak in rural areas, thus prevention is difficult and the task is arduous,” Mr Xi said, adding that the elderly were a top priority. Several Chinese cities are set to celebrate Chinese New Year with massive displays of fireworks after local governments reversed bans on their sale in recent years. Hangzhou, Kunming, Zhengzhou, and Changsha - which all have populations above 10 million - will allow the sale of fireworks, according to the Yicai business magazine. Airfinity on Wednesday estimated that 62 million people could be infected with the virus between Jan 13 and 27 and that Covid-related deaths could peak at 36,000 a day on Jan 26, up sharply from previous forecasts. “Our forecast estimates a significant burden on China’s healthcare system for the next fortnight and it is likely that many treatable patients could die due to overcrowded hospitals and lack of care,” said Airfinity’s analytics director Matt Linley. Looking beyond the death toll, there is optimism that China’s reopening will reinvigorate a US$17 trillion (S$22.48 tillion) economy suffering one of its lowest growth rates in nearly half a century.  China could see a sharp recovery in growth from the second quarter onwards, IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath told Reuters in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.  Those hopes have nudged China’s main stock markets and yuan currency to multi-month highs in recent sessions, although trading was light on Thursday as investors wound down for the holidays.  Source: REUTERS

The Indian Coast Guard apprehended a Pakistani boat attempting to venture into Indian waters with arms, ammunition and approximately 40kg of drugs worth Rs 300 crore.  The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) apprehended a Pakistani boat along the Gujarat coast that was attempting to venture into Indian waters with arms, ammunition and approximately 40kg of drugs worth Rs 300 crore. Ten people aboard the Pakistani boat have been arrested. The Indian Coast Guard received intelligence input from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Gujarat, based on which, during the intervening night of December 25 and 26, the ICG strategically deployed its fast patrol class of ship ICGS Arinjay to patrol the area close to the notional International Maritime Border Line (IMBL). During the early hours of Monday, the ICG observed a Pakistani fishing boat 'Al Soheli' moving suspiciously in Indian waters. When the Indian Coast Guard started questioning those aboard the Pakistani boat, the boat started evasive manoeuvring and did not stop even when the Indian Coast Guard fired warning shots. 'Arinjay', the ship of the Indian Coast Guard, intercepted the Pakistani boat. The Indian Coast Guards boarded the Pakistani boat and found the crew behaving in a suspicious manner. The ICG searched the boat and found arms, ammunition and approximately 40 kgs of narcotics worth Rs 300 crores. The officials seized the boat and arrested the crew, all of whom are being brought to the coastal town of Okha in Gujarat for further investigation. This is the seventh joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and ATS, Gujarat in the last 18 months and first crackdown, wherein arms and ammunitions, along with drugs, were being smuggled into the country. During this period, a total 346kg of heroine worth Rs 1,930 crores have been seized and 44 Pakistani nationals and seven people from Iran have been arrested.

Various crime and intelligence departments of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested 52 people on charges of selling and consuming drugs in various areas of the capital. During the arrest, 565 pieces of Yaba, 11.1 grams of heroin, 12 bottles of Phensidyl and 65 kg 37 grams of cannabis were seized from their custody. As part of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's regular anti-narcotics operation, from 6:00 am (Friday, December 23, 2022)  to 6:00 am today. They were arrested from various police stations in the capital. 37 cases under the Narcotics Control Act have been registered against the arrested in the concerned police stations.

Various crime and intelligence department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested 23 people on charges of selling and consuming drugs in different areas of the capital. During the arrest, 7 thousand 128 pieces of Yaba and 133 kg 160 gram 50 Puria Marijuana were recovered from their custody. As part of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's regular anti-narcotics operation, raids were carried out in various police stations of the capital from 6 am on Monday (December 19) to 6 am today and they were arrested. 21 cases under the Narcotics Control Act have been registered against the arrested police stations.