Gurugram: 57-fold increase in marijuana seizure over 6 years

The recovery of marijuana in the city has increased by up to 57 times in the last six years, shows data provided by the Gurugram Police, which has seized 2,000kg

The recovery of marijuana in the city has increased by up to 57 times in the last six years, shows data provided by the Gurugram Police, which has seized 2,000kg of this drug since the beginning of this year alone from peddlers, who smuggle the contraband through domestic and international networks. The police said that while such increased recovery is a result of stricter crackdown on the illegal drug business, it also hints at a surge in supply and the robust network set up by peddlers in the state and the national capital region (NCR).

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Last year, the police had seized 600kg marijuana and 220kg of other drugs, including 5.5kg heroin worth ₹35 crore in the international market, from peddlers in the city and registered 150 cases in which 113 people were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The police said since January this year, the quantity of marijuana recovered from peddlers has more than tripled. They have seized 6kg heroin, smuggled from foreign countries through human carriers, and arrested 268 persons so far, the police said.

In 2013, only 35 kilograms of marijuana was recovered (see box), the police data shows.

Police commissioner Muhammad Akil said that marijuana, a gateway drug, is in demand as it is the cheapest and most easily available. “Drug abusers usually start with marijuana. It is sold for ₹100-₹200 per 10 grams,” he said.

The city police said they have managed to break into the domestic drugs syndicate and have arrested some interstate suppliers, but they are yet to make any major breakthrough into the drug supply chain from international market, which channels the substance directly to night clubs and school- and college-going students.

THE CHANNELS

While domestic drugs, such as marijuana, hashish and sulfa, are smuggled through land routes from neighbouring states (Rajasthan and Punjab) and others, including Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir, drugs such as cocaine, LSD and heroin channel their way into the country in a more disturbing way — through the stomachs of human drug mules from Mexico, Peru and Norway, the police said.

Akil said that there are different syndicates operating in Delhi, and that they have constituted 20 special teams, each comprising 60 police personnel, to crack down on drug smuggling networks in the city and border areas.

“To keep a check on narcotics being supplied, we have deployed policemen in plain clothes to keep an eye on all party destinations across the city and on all inter-city and inter-state border roads. We have been able to crack down on the heroin and cocaine supply routes. Two months ago, we nabbed the kingpin who was supplying these drugs to peddlers in the NCR, but curtailing the supply of domestic drugs remains a challenge,” he said.

The police said the syndicate dealing in heroin mostly constitutes of Nigerian nationals who operate from Delhi, which is being used as a transit point as there is no check on the arrival of foreign nationals and they are migrating freely on student or business visas.

According to the police, international passengers were involved in illegally transporting cocaine and heroin to foreign nationals in Delhi and that they are working to crack that link and have arrested 16 persons this year. Eight foreign nationals, all Nigerian nationals, were arrested this year for drug peddling in Haryana, had entered India on business and student visas.

The police said they have prepared a database of foreign nationals visiting Delhi-NCR and of party organisers and drug peddlers, who are using social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, to send invitation for drug-addled parties. The police are also checking records at the immigration office for verifying visa claims of those arrested in drug busts.

Additional director general of police (law and order) Navdeep Singh Virk said the Haryana government set up the special task force (STF) to check the growth of the drug network. They recently arrested four foreign nationals, who had come to India on business visas. As many of them failed to provide any documents or passports, they were booked under relevant sections of the Foreigners Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the police said.

Virk said the team is investigating the source of drug production, if any, in the region and the supply route(s).

THE DEMAND

According to the police, heroin is in demand at parties mostly held at farmhouses around Gurugram, including Sohna, Bhondsi and Gururgam-Faridabad road. “People from Delhi-NCR plan such parties at these areas and contact peddlers to supply drugs well in advance. The price of these drugs shoots up during the festive season, like now when Diwali is approaching,” Virk said.

According to the police, demand for drugs is the highest between October and February, as most parties are planned during this season. Local drug peddlers sell heroin in pouches of 1gm for anything between ₹1,500 and ₹2,500 depending on the quality and customer’s capacity.

“Most heroin and cocaine is smuggled into Indian from foreign countries. Last year, we seized a larger cache of heroin in the city as compared to the entire state. Three big peddlers were arrested; all of them were foreign nationals. The drugs brought into Gururgam are supplied to, among others, school and college students,” deputy inspector general (STF) Satheesh Balan said.

The recovery of such large quantities of heroin was a major development since the formation of the STF in March 2017.