Himachal police on track to constitute anti-narcotic task force
Around a month after Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur announced that a special task force (STF) will be constituted to wage war on drugs in the hill state, the additional director general of police on Friday said a proposal for the same had been sent to the government for approval.
Around a month after Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur announced that a special task force (STF) will be constituted to wage war on drugs in the hill state, the additional director general of police on Friday said a proposal for the same had been sent to the government for approval.
Crime Investigation Department (CID) additional director general of police (ADGP) SP Singh said, “We have sent a proposal for the formation of an anti-narcotic task force to curb the burgeoning drug trade in the state to the government.”
“The police department will set up a narcotic coordination secretariat at the CID headquarters in Shimla, which will coordinate with an interstate secretariat in Panchkula. The secretariate will felicitate coordination between different government agencies.” the ADGP said, adding that the task force will ensure effective rehabilitation of addicts in the hill state.
At present, there are 68 rehabilitation centres in the state, but there is no separate facility for women addicts in the state. The police will also set up field units in the state’s pharmacy hub, Baddi, Barotiwaala and Nalagarh, and in Kalaamb in district Sirmaur. The field units will check the diversion of drugs from pharmaceutical units.
The consumption and smuggling of synthetic drugs in Himachal has increased manifold over the last few years, and there has been a corresponding increase in addiction. Chitta (adulterated heroin) has made inroads to the rural pockets, mainly Shimla, Kangra, Una, Sirmaur and Solan. The problem is more acute in areas bordering Punjab.
In 2021, the Himachal Police had seized drugs worth ₹18 crore, arrested 2,223 persons, including 82 women and 15 foreign nationals, in 1,537 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act .
The anti-narcotic task force will implement the HP Integrated Drug Policy, a national action plan for drug demand reduction, a scheme for prevention of alcoholism and substance abuse and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. The state narcotic control cell (SNCC) will be merged in the task force and field units will be opened at Una, Mandi and Baddi. Last year, the police had seized 46,200 banned capsules in Sirmaur, 9,521 bottles (100 millilitres each) of cough syrup, which were being abused by the youth of the state. Two years ago, the police had also registered a case against Orison Pharma International, Kala Amb and seized 30,10, 050 tramadol tablets and 226 kilograms of tramadol API. It had also issued notices under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to three firms and suspended the licences of seven firms in Himachal.
“To keep pace with the changing technology, technology support, training and coordination unit, crime and criminal database unit and intelligence and enforcement units will also be set up at the CID headquarters and efforts would be made to create and retain experts in the core team of the special task force, “ the ADGP said.
Drug menace in HP
The consumption and smuggling of synthetic drugs in Himachal has increased manifold over the last few years.
Cases registered: 1,537
Persons arrested: 2,223
Cannabis cultivation destroyed: 5,197 bighas
Poppy cultivation destroyed: 149 bighas
Opium recovered: 40.8kg
Poppy husk seized: 1,903kg
Marijuana seized: 814kg
Heroin seized: 14.9kg
Banned tablets seized: 30,68,184
*Data for 2021