Overview

• Government forces stationed officers 24/7 after a May 12 operation cleared the decade-old Crackland drug hub of makeshift shelters and waste.
• Officials report more than 1,000 detentions and claim 1,200 former Crackland users entered treatment, though evidence for the latter remains unverified.
• Local residents and activists accuse police of increased baton use, threats and property closures, describing the raids as violent.
• Displaced addicts have regrouped in smaller pockets across the city’s old center, and attempts to return to the cleared zone are repeatedly blocked.
• Urban researchers warn that without long-term social programs the crackdown is only a temporary fix and addicts will establish new drug hubs elsewhere.