Heroin rates shoot up amid choked supply line, says Punjab Police STF

The Punjab Police’s special task force (STF) against drugs claimed that the rates of heroin have doubled amid the ongoing lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19

The Punjab Police’s special task force (STF) against drugs claimed that the rates of heroin have doubled amid the ongoing lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19 as the supply lines of the contraband have got clogged.

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The supply from Pakistan to the state has come down due to the virus threat looming large in the neighboring country. “The availability will go down further in the coming days as those who still have some quantity of the contraband left will soon run out of stock,” a senior STF official said.

A senior STF official said 1 gram ‘chitta’ is now costing anywhere between ₹6,000 and ₹8,000 against the earlier ₹3000-4,000 price range.

“The drug rates have surged in the international market. Payments of many Pakistan-based druglords are said to be pending with Indian smugglers due to unannounced lockdown. There is hardly any new supply,” said another STF official posted in a border district.

A Border Security Force (BSF) official claimed that the rates of heroin in Pakistan have increased from ₹10 lakh per kg to ₹18-20 lakh per kg.

State health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the staff involved in de-addiction programmes has been instructed to monitor the development in the districts.

“We have decided to increase the duration of take-home de-addiction drug dose for the addicts undergoing treatment from one to two weeks till the lockdown continues,” he added.