Scouts vehicles being used to smuggle arms and explosives

[Devil Soul]

Scouts vehicles being used to smuggle arms and explosives
By Asad Kharal / Creative: Muhammad Suhaib
Published: February 7, 2013
LAHORE:
Pakistan’s porous western borders, which continue to play host to militancy and terrorism, are now facing a new threat that has developed innovative ways to smuggle arms.

As the country struggles to eliminate terrorism, recent reports suggest that women and children and vehicles used by scouts are now being used to smuggle weapons and explosives in different parts of the country.

Intelligence and law enforcement agencies recently released a report identifying sources of this smuggling mafia. The report states that official scouts vehicles, used as protective cover against authorities, lead the way while a convoy transporting arms and explosives follow them in the northern areas of the country.

Extracts from the report, available with The Express Tribune, explain in detail how the smuggling mafia operates. Smugglers usually use their privately owned vehicles while transporting arms and explosives but a scouts car now leads the way to ensure clearance from the police force at different check posts.

The report revealed that in some cases women along with infants were also being used to facilitate smuggling. Women clad in the burqas usually accompany the smugglers while they are transporting their consignment from one place to the other.

The report states that various police and custom officers also facilitate these smugglers at different check posts.

Besides the porous western borders of the country, Darra Adamkhel, southern Peshawar and Sakhakot Market – situated in the northwestern region of Mardan – are considered to be places where the weapons and explosives are manufactured.

The smugglers follow five routes to smuggle weapons. The first route usually starts from Darra Adamkhel and ends at Rawalpindi. The smugglers travel from Darra Adamkhel to Peshawar from where they go towards Attock, Haripur and then through Wah to reach Rawalpindi.

The other route is from Darra Adamkhel to Peshawar and then moving towards Mansehra from where they go towards Kaghan, Chilas and then Gilgit.

Two other routes begin from the Sakhkot Market and then move towards Mardan from where one route leads to Rawalpindi while the other route ends in Gilgit.

A fifth route that is used by smugglers only during the summers originates through Chitral, passes Ghizer and ends in Gilgit.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2013.

 

[abbas.hasan]

In my view, it would be easier and better to destroy the illegal arms factories than to stop smugglers who keep on changing routes and techniques frequently...

 

[RazorMC]

Our law enforcement agencies do not have the manpower (or even the intelligence level) to handle petty crime in major citites, let alone smuggling routes.

 

[Amaa'n]

Our law enforcement agencies do not have the manpower (or even the intelligence level) to handle petty crime in major citites, let alone smuggling routes.

They do have the level and manpower, all they need is support from the top. Btw do you know how many personnel are on security duty with vips? And those are not ordinary police personnel but ATS members, so billions of ruppees of taxpayers are spent to train these people so tney could go and protect some vips?

 

[Amaa'n]

In my view, it would be easier and better to destroy the illegal arms factories than to stop smugglers who keep on changing routes and techniques frequently...

There is a strong crackdown on clsing down these factories but still a far way to go. Two factories in my village Ikhlas were closed down

 

[RazorMC]

They do have the level and manpower, all they need is support from the top. Btw do you know how many personnel are on security duty with vips? And those are not ordinary police personnel but ATS members, so billions of ruppees of taxpayers are spent to train these people so tney could go and protect some vips?

Being understaffed because of VIPs is just an excuse for their massive failures. Thousands of people have died in Karachi, Balochistan, KPK and other parts of Pakistan. Rangers even have continued to plague the streets of Karachi, yet they've failed miserably.

Pakistani citizens are unsafe because the police is not serious at all. Many policemen are unfit to work anywhere else. If this is their dismal state of affairs, then I can not expect them to work any better.

 

[Amaa'n]

Being understaffed because of VIPs is just an excuse for their massive failures. Thousands of people have died in Karachi, Balochistan, KPK and other parts of Pakistan. Rangers even have continued to plague the streets of Karachi, yet they've failed miserably.

Sir believe me they are understaffed, All the operational and Specialized forces are on Security detail of these MPA /MNAs / SSP/AIG/DIG / VIP/ Wadera.
Ex Minister for Religious Affairs Ijaz-ul-Haq lives 600m away from my house, until few years ago, the guy had 1 Hilux with 6 Elite Force Commandos on 24/7 duty, all they used to do was sit outside his house. The protocol and security he had on the move was different.

Ranger doesn't bother with policing is because they lack the support from public. I have seen Rangers not giving a sh!t about who you are and which MNA you know, they just do what they have to do. I have also seen Rangers doing nothing while protesters burn down the vehicles.
All they know is "Kill to shoot", its their training .

Pakistani citizens are unsafe because the police is not serious at all. Many policemen are unfit to work anywhere else. If this is their dismal state of affairs, then I can not expect them to work any better.

What left from these security duties are Old and Unfit personnel, I have seen really really old police officers on Madagar 15 duty, yes thats the fault of Government.

 

[mr42O]

BAN ALL KIND OF WEAPONS.