Peshawar police in a crackdown on Saturday arrested 77 suspected drug dealers who allegedly peddled 'ice' (slang for addictive drug crystal methamphetamine) in the vicinity of educational institutions, police officials said.

SSP Operations Zahoor Afridi, in a press conference, said that of those detained, nine had been arrested from near Abasyn University, Paharipura police station, Government College chowk and Faqirabad police station in Peshawar.

Several others were arrested from areas falling within the jurisdiction of Khazana and Hayatabad police stations, he added.

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"Six kilogrammes of 'ice' was recovered from them," said SSP Afridi, adding that the merchandise was valued in millions.

"The trouble is that these dealers that we have arrested now have already been arrested on multiple occasions in the past," the police official said, highlighting the need for robust legislation that could prevent their release.

In August last year, Peshawar police had launched a crackdown on crystal meth in the provincial capital. They had also complained that a lack of legislation against the party drug leads to the easy acquittal of its dealers, who would then resume their activities.

SSP Operations Javed Iqbal had said that the police wrote to the provincial government for legislation against crystal meth, and that a law was being drafted to criminalise its sale and use.