Lok Sabha elections 2019: Police to stop drug smuggling along border ahead of polls

The police said they have been keeping a vigil on all illegal activities taking place across the city ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May 12 in the state.

Police commissioner Muhammad Akil has constituted 20 special teams, each comprising 60 police personnel, to crack down on drug smuggling on the city border areas. The police said they have been keeping a vigil on all illegal activities taking place across the city ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May 12 in the state.

Police commissioner Muhammad Akil has constituted 20 special teams, each comprising 60 police personnel, to crack down on drug smuggling on the city border areas. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

Akil said since the model code of conduct came into force on March 10, they have seized more than 260 kilograms of drugs and arrested more than 25 people involved in drug peddling. “Our teams are deployed at 11 border areas and are checking suspected vehicles. We have also deployed officials from crime the branch in civilian dress to check drug smuggling and to keep a vigil on illegal activities taking place across the city,” he said.

The police said crime teams have recovered more than 160kg of cannabis, 75kg of hashish, seven kilogram of heroin and more than 50kg of sulfa from 25 people who had plans to supply these drugs in the city. All of them were arrested at night, the police said.

Akil said he has prepared a strategy for increasing visibility of police in the city and said that by making night patrolling more effective, the police wanted to send a stern message to “anti-social” elements who were committing crimes at such hours. “We are also analysing crime data to find trends in different areas, so that the force cam be increased as per requirements. We are scanning footage from CCTV cameras installed in many areas in the city to monitor any suspicious activity around the clock,” Akil said.

The city shares borders with Delhi and Rajasthan. Quick response teams have also been deployed in several parts of the city.

The police said barricades have been set up at 49 operational checkpoints across the city to check the supply of illicit liquor, the movement of cash in vehicles, as well as the supply of drugs.

On April 17, a coordination meeting between senior police officials from Delhi and Haryana was held in the city to discuss security measures ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The city police had shared with their counterparts a list of most-wanted criminals, proclaimed offenders and bail jumpers who have been evading arrest in over 2,000 cases.