Delhi Police identify drug peddling hot spots in Capital as cases spike

The analysis report was prepared by the narcotics cell of the crime branch collate information and data on the latest trends in the drugs trade. It is an internal assessment done annually and half-yearly, officials privy to the development said.

The Delhi police have identified at least 15 areas in Delhi as the “hot spots” for narcotic drugs peddling based on the trend of seizures of the contraband and arrests of peddlers, according to a report shared by the police on Sunday.

Police statistics attached with the report also show that there has been a nearly 100% increase in registration of cases as well as arrests of drug peddlers and suppliers in Delhi in 2020, compared to 2017. (File Photo)

The analysis report was prepared by the narcotics cell of the crime branch collate information and data on the latest trends in the drugs trade. It is an internal assessment done annually and half-yearly, officials privy to the development said.

Police statistics attached with the report also show that there has been a nearly 100% increase in registration of cases as well as arrests of drug peddlers and suppliers in Delhi in 2020, compared to 2017. Also, 91% more peddlers were arrests in 2021 till June 15, compared to the data for the corresponding period last year. The data also shows an increase of around 55% in the registration of cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act during the same period.

The report lists Sultanpuri, Jahangirpuri, Inderpuri, Sagarpur, Uttam Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Nand Nagri, Dwarka, Chhatarpur, Nizamuddin, Majnu Ka Tila, Paharganj, Kalyanpuri, Hauz Khas Village and Khanpur as the areas where maximum seizures and arrests have come from.

“We did an action-based analysis of the latest trends of the trafficking and peddling of narcotic drugs to identify the hot spots in Delhi and the prime sources in other states from where these substances are smuggled into Delhi. The trend shows that in Delhi the narcotic supply chain is – local drug supplier, drug peddler and the users. The mapping of the hot spots is helping us in nabbing the suppliers and peddlers,” said deputy commissioner of police (narcotics cell) Chinmoy Biswal, who is also the spokesperson of the city police.

The report says that the commonly used drugs in Delhi are marijuana, heroin, smack, cannabis, opium and cocaine, while drug users also look for codeine syrup and inhalants, including whipped cream containers, permanent markers, bleach, cleaning substance, glue, thinner, fluorescent ink and whitener. Some synthetic drugs such as LSD, commonly known as “acid” and “L”, MDMA, also referred as ecstasy or “molly”, ketamine, methamphetamine (commonly known as “meth” or “crystal”) are sold as party drugs among rich people, senior police officers from the narcotics cell said.

As far as the supply of these narcotic substances is concerned, marijuana is one of the cheapest and mostly used contraband in Delhi. It is trafficked in Delhi mostly from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, UP, Bihar, Assam, Manipur and Nepal where it is grown locally by the farmers. Cannabis on the other hand is trafficked into Delhi from Himachal Pradesh, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal as well, said DCP Biswal.

“Places in Rajasthan such as Bhilwara, Jhalawar, Kota, Udaipur and Jodhpur are the prime source of opium in Delhi. This contraband is also procured from Neemach, Ratlam, Mandsor, Indore in Madhya Pradesh and from Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, Barabanki, Badaun, and also from Jharkhand,” he said.

Narcotic drugs such as cocaine and heroin are trafficked into India from abroad via air and sea routes. The neighbouring countries are used as the transit points.

Experts said the police will have to check the local supply network to contain the menace. “Identifying the local hot spots means the police are aware of the main distribution centres of narcotic drugs. But to control this menace, it is important to be vigilant against the local suppliers and monitor their activities regularly. The local police can play an important role in it. The second important step should be identifying the places where such drugs are produced and bust the supply chain through which the items are smuggled into Delhi. A holistic approach and better coordination with other states is the key in the fight against the drug menace,” said former IPS officer Ashok Chand, who served the Delhi Police for around 35 years and headed the special cell and crime branch units.