Organized Crime Watch-28

Pakistan’s Organized Crime Weekly Review

Compiled by National Initiative against Organised Crime (NIOC)

12 October to 18 October 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is not only affecting the economies and societies across the world but also changing the trends of the organized crime and illicit markets. Pakistan is already facing critical economic challenges as well as issues related to governance and internal security. While the coronavirus pandemic has complicated these challenges, it can also bring to fore new challenges related to organized crime and non-state actors in the country. There is a need for institutional vigilance to monitor the changing trends for better understanding and preparedness to cope with future challenges. The National Initiative against Organized Crime (NIOC) is initiating a weekly monitor on Organized Crime as a civil society initiative to support the institutional and community responses. The weekly brief is a result of information collected from open sources, mainly the mainstream media reports, both Urdu and English as well as information collected from various experts associated with the Project.

Nationwide confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan were 323,019 as of October 19, 2020, while 307,069 of them have recovered so far in the country. The death toll reached 6,654. The detail on regional distribution of the total detected cases across Pakistan as well as consequent deaths is given in the table below:

Area Number of Number of Deaths as % of Confirmed Cases Deaths Cases AJK 3498 90 2.57 Balochistan 15688 148 0.93 Gilgit Baltistan 4059 90 2.21 Islamabad 18069 195 1.07 KP 38645 1265 3.27 Punjab 101652 2298 2.26 Sindh 141841 2581 1.82

1. General Trends

1.1. Street Crime

During the week under review, police arrested 833 street criminals, absconders and drug dealers in a drive to address the increasing street crime in the city.1 Meanwhile in the federal capital, two armed motorcyclists snatched a purse having gold and diamond rings from a woman at gunpoint last week. The purse had Rs 0.15 million, a gold ring, two diamond rings, a cellphone, and other valuables inside it.2

1.2.Terrorism Watch

As many as three terrorist attacks happened during the week under review, one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Balochistan. In KP’s North Waziristan district, militants targeted a military convoy with remote controlled blast in Razmak area. As a result, six army soldiers including a captain were martyred.3 The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan was believed to be involved in the attack.

In Balochitan, security forces were escorting a convoy of OGDCL from Gwadar to Karachi when insurgents attacked it on Coastal Highway near Ormara. As a result of ensuing encounter, 7 FC soldiers and 7 private security guards were martyred.4 BRAS, an alliance of Baloch insurgent group, was allegedly involved. In the second reported attack from Balochistan, the terrorists opened fire on a patrolling party of the security forces some 35km southeast of Turbat. During the ensuing exchange of fire, Lance Naik Waseem Ullah was martyred and three other soldiers suffered injuries.5

1 , October 12, 2020 https://tribune.com.pk/epaper/news/Karachi/2020-10- 12/MzEwY2JhZGU3YjQ4Yjk3NDU3YjJhNzdlZmZiOGE0NzUuanBlZw%3D%3D 2 The Express Tribune, October 18, 2020 https://tribune.com.pk/story/2268878/gold-diamond-rings-snatched 3 Daily Jang (Urdu), October 16, 2020, https://e.jang.com.pk/10-16-2020/pindi/pic.asp?picname=58.png 4 , October 16, 2020, https://nation.com.pk/16-Oct-2020/13-troops-among-20-martyred-in-terror-attacks 5 Dawn, October 18, 2020, https://www.dawn.com/news/1585648/army-soldier-martyred-in-turbat-attack A cross-border attack from Afghanistan was also recorded in which Pakistani Taliban militants sheltered in Afghanistan opened fire on an army post at the border in Bajaur tribal district. As a result, havaldar Tanveer embraced martyrdom while one soldier got injured.6

2. Terror Financing

Ahead of the crucial meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is planned through a virtual session from October 21 to 23, Islamabad is reaching out to member states of Paris-based body to seek their support for acknowledging Pakistan's progress on 27-point action plan that may help it exit from the grey list. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi reportedly telephoned his Saudi, Turkish and Malaysian counterparts to brief them about Pakistan's significant progress to implement the FATF plan of action. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Malaysia are members of the 39-member FATF and their support is crucial for Pakistan to avert any adverse decision during the plenary.7

3. Drug Trafficking

The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has carried out operation against drug mafia across the country and held some 18 suspected smugglers while seizing 673 kg narcotics from their possession. According to a media report, of 18 suspected smugglers, three were ladies smugglers whereas three others were foreigners. ANF also impinged five vehicles being used by the narco dealers for transporting drugs from once place to another. The value of recovered drugs is said to be 91.379 million US dollars in the international market.8 Meanwhile, Costal Guards, in Pasni, Balochistan recovered 99KG narcotics.9

The police also conducted multiple operations across the country as described below:

- Islamabad police arrested three international drug dealers including a lady and recovered 18 kg heroin from their possession.10 Police also arrested two people on charges of selling drugs around educational institutions and student hostels.11 - police foiled an attempt to smuggle heroin worth 5 million rupees and arrested a drug dealer.12

6 (Urdu), October 14, 2020, https://dunya.com.pk/index.php/dunya-headline/HeadLineRoznama/568559_1 7 The Express Tribune, October 12, 2020 https://tribune.com.pk/story/2268002/pakistan-reaches-out-to-fatf-members-for- support#:~:text=Ahead%20of%20the%20crucial%20meeting,the%20development%20said%20in%20the 8 The Nation, October 16, 2020 https://nation.com.pk/E-Paper/islamabad/2020-10-16/page-14/detail-6 9 The Express Tribune, October 17, 2020 https://tribune.com.pk/epaper/news/Karachi/2020-10- 15/MjQxN2YxN2M2YzE3ZTg5NjI0NDY0YzM1N2Y5YTkwN2MuanBlZw%3D%3D 10 Daily Express, October 12, 2020 https://www.express.com.pk/epaper/PoPupwindow.aspx?newsID=1107804766&Issue=NP_ISB&Date=20201012 11 The Express Tribune, October 18, 2020 https://tribune.com.pk/story/2268870/two-held-for-allegedly-selling-drugs-on-campus 12 Daily Dunya, October 12, 2020 https://e.dunya.com.pk/detail.php?date=2020-10-12&edition=ISL&id=5360930_48357826 - Karachi police arrested two drug smugglers with 21 Kg hashish in their possession. The smugglers were coming from Quetta.13 In another raid, Karachi police arrested a drug dealer and seized 2.5 Kg of hashish from his possession14. - Lakki Marwat Police in KP province arrested two drug dealers and recovered 2 Kg hashish from their possession.15 - Mangora police arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 2.5 KG hashish from their possession16

4. Cyber Security

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cybercrime wing has dedicted an international porn website, which was being operated from Karachi and arrested a culprit.17 FIA’s Cybercrime wing in also busted a gang involved in developing and circulating applications of porn websites.18

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About NIOC:

National Initiative against Organized Crime (NIOC), in collaboration with the Global Initiative Resilience Fund, is the first-ever initiative in Pakistan launched in November 2019 by a group of committed professionals and experts with law enforcement, media and other public service backgrounds. NIOC aims to build community resilience and influence public policy to combat organized crime.

Website: https://nioc.pk

Email: [email protected]

13 Daily Jang, October 12, 2020 https://jang.com.pk/news/830654?_ga=2.37304288.153942749.1602493366- 445604765.1600348003 14 Daily Jang, October 13, 2020 https://jang.com.pk/news/831041?_ga=2.3863536.153942749.1602493366- 445604765.1600348003 15 Daily 92, October 18, 2020 https://www.roznama92news.com/efrontend/web/index.php/?station_id=4&page_id=5&is_common=&xdate=2020-10- 18&n=n14 16 Daily 92, October 13, 2020 https://www.roznama92news.com/efrontend/web/index.php/?station_id=4&page_id=5&is_common=&xdate=2020-10-13 17 Daily Jang, October 18, 2020 https://jang.com.pk/news/833269?_ga=2.216165718.1921108695.1602961539- 1279310720.1600370579 18 Daily Express, October 18, 2020 https://www.express.com.pk/epaper/PoPupwindow.aspx?newsID=1107817258&Issue=NP_KHI&Date=20201018