South Asia Terrorism Portal
Narco-Terror Tushar Ranjan Mohanty Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
Pakistan’s biggest single drug haul of 2020 was made on November 12 in the Pasni coast area of Gwadar District of Balochistan, when the Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) confiscated 751 kilograms of methamphetamine and heroin, worth an estimated PKR 20 billion in the international market.
On October 21, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) seized 1917.85 kilograms of narcotics, arrested 15 person’s and intercepted seven vehicles while conducting 14 counter-narcotics strikes throughout the country. The seized drugs included 1834.85 kilograms of Hashish, 15 kilograms of Opium and eight kilograms of Heroin.
On October 15, ANF carried out operations across the country and arrested at least 18 narco-dealers, recovering 673 kilograms of narcotics from their possession. Of 18 suspected smugglers, three were women, and three others were foreigners. ANF also seized five vehicles being used by the narco-dealers for transporting drugs. The value of the recovered drugs is said to be USD 91.379 million in the international market.
On October 8, 2020, ANF seized a huge haul of drugs worth more than PKR one billion from a fishing boat during a raid on an island off the Karachi coast in Sindh. Sources said the ANF intelligence wing conducted the raid in the night. On seeing the ANF personnel, the suspected drug smugglers opened fire and managed to flee the scene, leaving the narcotics in the boat. 426 kilograms of heroin and 57 kilograms of Hashish were recovered from the boat.
On October 2, 2020, Customs personnel foiled a smuggling bid and seized a huge quantity of heroin worth PKR one billion in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. After credible information was received by Tahir Qureshi, collector of the Model Customs Collectorate, Gwadar, regarding an attempt to smuggle narcotics of foreign origin from Quetta to Karachi, a raiding party was constituted. During checking 176 kilograms of brown heroin was recovered from the fuel tank of a six-wheeler vehicle.
Pakistan is geographically vulnerable to drug trafficking, sharing a 2,430-kilomteres-long porous border with Afghanistan, the world's largest producer of illicit opium. Cannabis is also produced in large quantities in the sub-region, most of the cannabis trafficked in the region also originates from Afghanistan, and is processed in the inaccessible areas of Pakistan's tribal areas. According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates, approximately 43 per cent of the Afghan opiates are trafficked through Pakistan.
On August 29, 2020, Shehryar Khan Afridi, the Minister for State and Frontier Regions and Narcotics Control, claimed that ANF had made the highest number of seizures of drugs in the world, though he disclosed no figures. He said 85 per cent of the drugs were produced in Afghanistan and fifty per cent of this 85 per cent were being smuggled by using Pakistan’s land route.
The Tribal Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and bordering districts of Balochistan have long been used as a transit point for narcotics trafficking from Afghanistan. Various reports have suggested that Pakistan's drug syndicates run a parallel economy in connivance with select elements of the political and military establishments. The alleged nexus between drug smugglers and politicians has long been established, but has been reconfirmed in the recent past, when the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab President and former Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan was arrested by ANF’s Lahore team near Sukheki on July 1, 2019, while he was traveling from Faisalabad to Lahore. According to a statement released by ANF, “A large quantity of drugs was recovered from Sanaullah’s car.” The politician was travelling with his guards at the time of the arrest, the statement added.
Indeed, describing the drugs menace in the region, the KP, tribal region, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sanaullah Abbasi disclosed on July 24, 2020,
The drugs seized included 557.943 kilogrammes of heroin, 11,081.542 kilogrammes of hashish, 920.159 kilogrammes of opium, 851.759 kilogrammes of ‘ice’ (crystal methamphetamine) and 20,587 bottles of liquor. Abbasi added that the Police had also observed that drugs were intimately connected with the security of society and their use was directly proportional to domestic abuse and rampant crime.
A March 2017 ‘confidential report’ compiled by the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), an intelligence service department active within the Ministry of Finance, had observed that drug trafficking was one of the “main sources of income of terrorists in Pakistan”.
Narco-terrorism has not only resulted in an increasing number of drug addicts, but is also responsible for the emergence of many organised criminal gangs that deal in drugs and arms, kidnapping for ransom, targeted killings, speed money, extortion, and financing terrorists. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), at least 8.9 million people in the country are drug users. Organised drug gangs are so strong, they do not hesitate to attack ANF and security personnel.
On August 10, 2020, at least six persons were killed and 21 were injured in a bomb blast targeting an ANF vehicle on Mall Road in Chaman Town, Qilla Abdullah District, Balochistan. According to Police Inspector Muhammad Mohsin, unidentified persons had planted an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in a motorbike that was parked on the roadside. Chaman town Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Zakaullah Durrani asserted that the explosion targeted the ANF vehicle.
On July 17, 2020, two ANF personnel were killed after their convoy came under attack by smugglers in the Mashkel area of Kharan District, Balochistan. The ANF team was on its way back after seizing two vehicles loaded with drugs from near the Pakistan-Iran border, when it was ambushed by the miscreants.
While Pakistan has been the facing a grave challenge of narco-terrorism, the lack of adequate funding and man power in ANF has further aggravated the crisis.
According to an October 1, 2020, report, appointments had not been made in the ANF over the last seven years and the force required significantly greater manpower to curb the drug smuggling. Source added that ANF had demanded to 10,000 additional recruits, and the Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics Control had endorsed the demand. However only 500 appointments were allowed. 2,172 employees are working in ANF against 3,148 sanctioned posts, leaving 976 positions vacant. The force was also facing financial issues, and no funds for recruitment had been provided.
Earlier on March 14, 2018, ANF Secretary Iqbal Mehmood told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Narcotics Control that the lack of support from the finance department and the suspension of funding by the Government has almost crippled the ANF. The PKR 2.5 billion provided by the Government for the fiscal year 2017-18 was only enough to meet routine expenses. The apathy towards the Force was further highlighted by Major General Muhammad Arif Malik, Director General ANF, on August 8, 2019, when he stated that ANF has been struggling hard to wipe out the menace of drugs from Pakistan.
The ANF in all likelihood is not going to strengthened further. And the reason is simple.
There has been a well-established nexus between the Taliban, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Police, and politicians who control the procurement, production, and transportation of the heroin drugs using different routes to markets abroad. To expect the masters to act against themselves is hardly realistic.
An incident at the beginning of the year further demonstrated this strong nexus. On January 10, 2020, a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque-cum seminary, Darul Uloom Al Sharia, in the Ghosabad area of Satellite Town in Quetta, the Provincial capital of Balochistan, killing at least 15 persons and injuring another 20. Later, Khaama Press, citing an unnamed Afghan security source, reported that the explosion took place when an important meeting was going on between Taliban militants, ISI members, and drug smugglers.
Further, reports indicate that Pakistan has helped Taliban in its offensive in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan in October 2020, with the drug trade providing the principal motivation, among others. Pakistan’s stakes in Afghanistan’s narcotics trade adds to the greater significance of Helmand, one of the main poppy-growing areas in Afghanistan. Opium poppy and heroin are among the main sources of income for the Taliban, which controls 80 per cent of the drug production areas in Afghanistan. Pakistan acts as a facilitator in transporting the drugs out of Afghanistan, in processing, and in further distribution to other countries. The drug consignments, in connivance with Pakistan’s authorities, are smuggled through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and thereafter, head for Pakistan’s air and seaports and to further destinations in China, South and Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. Significant flows, controlled by ISI backed terrorist formations as well as drug consortiums, are also pumped across the land border into India, particularly into Indian Punjab, with the help of Khalistani terrorist formations located in Pakistan
Narco-money has long been working to fuel terrorist groups. While there is no interruption of the supply from across the porous border, state complicity in Pakistan, and a general lethargy in policy establishment further aggravate the situation.
ULFA-I: Major Setback Ajit Kumar Singh Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management
The Indian Security Forces (SFs) with active cooperation of their Bangladeshi counterparts have successfully secured custody of Drishti Rajkhowa aka Monoj Rabha, the ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ of the Independent faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I). Rajkhowa, along with four of his accomplices, surrendered before Indian Security Forces (SFs) on November 11, 2020, in Meghalaya, along the India-Bangladesh Border. A day later, on November 12, he ‘formally’ surrendered to the Unified Command at the Army’s Red Horns Division at Rangia in the Kamrup District of Assam. His accomplices were identified as Yashin Ali, Rup Jyoti Rabha, Babul Rabha, and Rahul Hazarika.
Bangladesh had earlier helped Indian SFs’ secure custody of several top leaders of the parent (undivided) ULFA, including then ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa and ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Raju Baruah, on December 2, 2009; and ‘foreign secretary’ Sashadhar Choudhury and ‘finance secretary’ Chitraban Hazarika, on November 1, 2009. On November 11, 2015, Bangladesh handed over the ‘general secretary’ of the parent ULFA, Golap Baruah aka Anup Chetia, and two of his prison mates who were arrested along with him in Bangladesh in 1997. The 'formal' split of the outfit took place in August 2012. While the faction led by ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah was known as the Ant-Talks faction of ULFA (ULFA-ATF), later rechristened ULFA-I; the other faction was the Pro-talks Faction, ULFA-PTF, which is engaged in talks with the Government.
Meanwhile, in a November 12, 2020, release, after the Rajkhowa surrender, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in India stated that it “was a result of relentless pursuit over the last nine months.” Indeed, Drishti Rajkhowa had escaped two encounters, one each in March 2020 and October 2020. On November 12, 2020, the Meghalaya Police tweeted, “He was on the run after narrowly escaping encounter with commandos of the Meghalaya police in Bolbokgre Village, South Garo Hills on October, 20, 2020.”
The 50-year-old Rajkhowa, who hails from Belpara village in Rongjuli, Goalpara District, Assam, joined ULFA in 1988. He came to prominence when top leaders of the outfit, including Arabinda Rajkhowa, were "pushed over" from Bangladesh. A close confidant of the ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Baruah, who is currently in China, Rajkhowa was a known explosives expert. He was reportedly the mastermind behind gun-running in India’s northeastern states as well as in Bangladesh. Rajkhowa was one of the primary suppliers of weapons to various insurgent groups. He was made the ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ of ULFA-I in November 2011, along with Bijay Das aka Bijay Chinese. Bijoy Das came ‘overground’ in February 2013, but Rajkhowa remained as ULFA-I’s lone ‘filed commander’, and was thus a most important catch for the SFs.
Not surprisingly, reacting to the surrender, the Army stated,
Indeed, the surrender has evidently disturbed Paresh Baruah. In an attempt to stop further defections from the outfit, he declared, “he [Rajkhowa] has taken this step with approval from the organization and on humanitarian grounds” elaborating that “his wife is suffering from cancer and they have two minor children.”
On November 13, ULFA-I announced that Michael ‘Asom’ Dekaphukan aka Joy Chandra Das had replaced Rajkhowa as ‘deputy commander-in-chief’. Dekaphukan hails from the Amlaga village in the Sonitpur District of Assam and is in charge of the outfit’s camp in Myanmar’s Sagaing Division.
Significantly, at the time of Bijoy Das coming overground in February 2013, it was said that “(Bijoy Das) Chinese was the last field commander of the Paresh Barua faction” and that “he is left with only three leaders now — Jibon Moran, Michael Dekaphukan and Drishti Rajkhowa”.
With Drishti Rajkhowa gone, Paresh Baruah is now effectively left with two top leaders – 'associate general secretary' and 'finance secretary in-charge' Jibon Moran and the newly designated deputy commander-in-chief’ Michael Dekaphukan – to run the outfit at a time when, according to official data, "cadre strength in ULFA (I) is around 250" and the outfit is going through its worst phase.
The outfit suffered heavily when the Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) targeted Indian Insurgent Groups in January 2019, principally focusing on ULFA-I. The group’s activities on the ground almost came to a halt after the Tatmadaw operations.
However, attempts to revive the organization continued, as it looked for new cadres.
SFs busted an ULFA-I recruitment racket and arrested four cadres and six over ground workers of the outfit, rescuing seven minors from six districts of Upper Assam on April 21-22, 2020. The Districts included Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. An official release stated, "The apprehended persons are actively involved in the recruitment racket. The rescued youths belonging to well-to-do families were influenced and lured into joining the insurgent group through social media and online propaganda videos."
To make its presence felt on the ground, ULFA-I carried out an attack in July 2020, the first reported attack after Tatmadaw’s operations in January 2019. On July 29, three Assam Rifles (AR) personnel were killed and another five injured when terrorists ambushed their vehicle at Khongtal village in the Chandel District of Manipur. ULFA-I subsequently sent an email claiming that it, along with the Manipur Naga People’s Front (MNPF) and the Revolutionary People's Front/People's Liberation Army (RPF/PLA) had jointly carried out the attack.
The surrender of Drishti Rajkhowa will, however, likely a detrimental impact on Paresh Baruah’s recent attempts to resurrect the outfit.
It is imperative, however, for the Governments – Union as well as State – to remain cautious in their policies and ensure that no new opportunities are provided for the rebel outfit to exploit the emotions of the local populace.
Significantly, ULFA-I took advantage of several such opportunities to regain its hold in the region after suffering the jolt of the January 2019 Tatmadaw operations. One such opportunity arose from the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, (CAA 2019) by Parliament in December 2019 (in the Lok Sabha on December 9 and Rajya Sabha on December 11). ULFA-I declared itself in favour of the agitation that followed this legislation, which spread across the Northeast region and was particularly intense in Assam. The enactment of CAA 2019 on December 12, 2019, when it received the President’s assent, was seen by groups representing ‘indigenous’ interest in the region as a measure that not only legitimised present ‘illegal’ migrants, but also invited future migrations from neighbouring Bangladesh. The resultant demographic shift, these groups fear, would deprive indigenous populations of their political, cultural and ethnic rights. ULFA-I sought exploit such fears for its own ends. Not surprisingly, ULFA’s support to the CAA agitation helped the outfit regain some influence among locals and aided recruitment of new cadres.
More recently, the State Government called-off the Rongali Bihu (April 14-20, 2020) celebrations citing COVID-19, but then allowed the Durga Puja celebrations, albeit under restrictions, despite the situation on the ground being relatively worse. On September 4, 2020, ULFA-I alleged that the State Government is allowing Durga Puja celebration to please Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s extremist Hindutva agenda. Another such emotive issue is the inter-state border disputes in the northeast which flared up recently, particularly between Assam and Mizoram.
One of the most dreaded and longest surviving insurgent groups, which is primarily responsible for the residual troubles in India’s northeast, ULFA-I is now at its lowest ebb. The opportunity to end its influence in Assam and the wider Northeastern neighbourhood is real, and the group must be brought under relentless pressure. Patterns of political adventurism and policy misdirection in the recent past have created opportunities for the revival of insurgency, and the risk of a revival of the region’s multiple insurgencies is real, in the context of such mismanagement by the political executive and state agencies.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia November 9-15, 2020
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
NS
Total
AFGHANISTAN
INDIA
Jammu and Kashmir
PAKISTAN
Balochistan
KP
Punjab
Taliban have decided to target civil society in major cities of Afghanistan, states Amrullah Saleh, the First Vice President: Amrullah Saleh, the First Vice President, said on November 10, that according to the National Directorate of Security (NDS), "the Taliban have decided to target civil society, it's members and organizations in Afghanistan's major cities, who are among the soft targets". Saleh posted on his Facebook page that by doing so, the Taliban intend to increase the people's dissatisfaction with the government by expressing public feelings and emotions. Tolo News, November 12, 2020.
Taliban prisoners released by Afghan government return to battlefields, says report: The Afghan Government on November 10, accused the Taliban of breaking their promises in the peace process, saying the group in defiance with their commitments have "redeployed" most of their released prisoners to the battlefields. The Afghan Government released at least 6,000 Taliban prisoners as part of efforts to start peace negotiations with the group. "Many of them have returned to the battlefields," a Presidential Spokesman Dawa Khan Menapal said. Tolo News, November 11, 2020.
Unfortunately, comprehensive ceasefire has not been realised, states Afghan President Ashraf Ghani: On November 10, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stated, "Unfortunately, not only the promised reduction of violence and comprehensive ceasefire has not been realized, but the violence by the Taliban has increased substantially". He added, state to state cooperation with the global and regional framework is the key to deal with all the terrorist networks, that disrupts peace, development, and cooperation. Tolo News, November 11, 2020.
876 civilians killed in Afghanistan in three months, according to SIGAR: The US Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in a report quoting the Resolute Support (RS) says 876 civilians were killed and 1,685 were wounded from July 1 to September 30, 2020. In line with the continued rise in violence, this quarter's casualties increased by 43 per cent compared to last quarter (April 1-June 30, 2020), the report says. Tolo News, November 9, 2020.
Prime Minister urges all to protect society from militancy, terrorism, corruption and drugs: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while addressing a programme marking the opening of two newly-constructed buildings and an officers' mess for the members of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) on November 12 urged all to protect the society from militancy, terrorism, corruption and drugs and to utilise the talent and strength of the young generation for the development of the country. "It's essential to maintain peace in the country. We will have to protect our society from militancy, terrorism, corruption, and drugs. Then we can use the talent of the young generation for development," she said. The Daily Star, November 13, 2020.
ULFA-I deputy c-in-c Drishti Rajkhowa surrenders along with four other cadres in Meghalaya: On November 11, Manoj Rabha alias Drishti Rajkhowa, 'deputy commander-in-chief (c-in-c)' of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) surrendered at Dilsengre village near Baghmara in South Garo Hills District of Meghalaya. Along with Rajkhowa, four other ULFA-I militants identified as Yashin Ali alias Axom, Rupjyoti Rabha alias Lombu, Babul Rabha alias Babul and Rahul Hazarika alias Laden also surrendered. Hindustan Times, November 12, 2020.
Government blocks 12 pro-Khalistan websites: The Government of India (GoI) on November 2 issued orders to block 12 websites linked to pro-Khalistani outfits that were being directly operated by the banned secessionist organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The banned websites include SFJ4Farmers, pbteam, seva413, pb4u, sadapind, among others with "org" extension. The Tribune , November 11, 2020.
25 militants infiltrated in Kashmir this year, says Police : Additional Director General (ADG) of Border Security Force (BSF), Surinder Pawar, speaking at BSF Headquarters at Humhama in Srinagar District of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on November 9, said that the operation in Macchil area of North Kashmir's Kupwara District is still underway and that this year only 25 to 30 militants managed to infiltrate into this side compared to 140 last year while 300 militants are awaiting on launch pads. Disclosing on the status of infiltration this year, ADG, Pawar said this year only 25 to 30 militants managed to enter into this side as compared to 135 to 140 last year. Daily Excelsior, November 10, 2020.
ISI to use pro-Khalistani terrorists to smuggle arms into India, warn Intelligence agencies: Indian Intelligence agencies have warned that Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is most likely to utilize pro-Khalistani terrorists to smuggle arms via multi State's International Border (IB) in India. The latest inputs from intelligence agencies stated that ISI had instructed Pakistan-based pro-Khalistani terrorist groups to utilize and establish smuggling channels on IB of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to smuggle weapons into Indian territory. Zee News, November 9, 2020.
152 Pakistani terrorists operating in Afghanistan killed, says Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs: Over 150 Pakistan terrorists operating in Afghanistan were killed in operations conducted by the Afghan forces in Helmand and Kandahar province, the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior Affairs said on November 15, reports The Times of India. In a press conference, the Ministry of Interior Affairs' spokesman Tariq Arian released a list of Taliban terrorists killed in recent clashes against Afghan forces. "152 Pakistani fighters were killed in Helmand," he added. Daily Times, November 16, 2020.
FIA releases red book containing 1,210 most wanted persons: The anti-terrorism wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has compiled a document listing the profiles of some 1,210 terrorism suspects that it deems most notorious. Of the total 1,210 suspects listed in the document, a majority - 737 to be precise - are wanted by law enforcement agencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Another 161 suspects are wanted by law enforcement agencies in Balochistan, the document revealed. A hundred of the suspects listed are wanted by the agencies of Sindh, while another 122 are wanted by law enforcers in Punjab. Another 32 and 30 suspects on the list are sought by law enforcement agencies of Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan. The Express Tribune, November 13, 2020.
The South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on related economic, political, and social issues, in the South Asian region.
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