Haryana Police seek nod to freeze assets of 50 drug peddlers

Parveen Arora

Karnal, July 24

The Haryana Police have sought permission from the Competent Authority, New Delhi, under the NDPS Act to freeze the properties of nearly 50 more drug peddlers. So far, the Haryana police have seized properties worth Rs 48 crore of 102 peddlers.

The police are awaiting approval to freeze movable and immovable assets of the peddlers. After receiving permission, the respective district police will initiate the process with the help of the district administration.

“The Haryana Police have been taking strong steps against drug peddlers who are habitual offenders and have made properties through smuggling. Different district police have sought permission from the Competent Authority to freeze the properties of nearly 50 drug peddlers. We are hopeful that the permission will be granted soon,” said Satish Vats, DSP, Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau.

Of the total frozen properties worth Rs 48 crore so far, assets valued at Rs 13 crore were seized from 16 peddlers in 2023, and properties worth Rs 2.66 crore were confiscated from 19 smugglers up to June 30 this year, he added.

The maximum properties of five peddlers worth Rs 2.73 crore have been seized in Ambala. In Charkhi Dadri and Faridabad, properties of three peddlers each, valued at Rs 61.92 lakh and Rs 3.23 crore, respectively, have been confiscated.

In Fatehabad, properties worth Rs 2.71 crore from 17 peddlers have been frozen; In Gurugram, properties worth Rs 1.30 crore of one peddler has been seized; properties valued at Rs 1.81 crore from four peddlers have been confiscated from Kaithal; properties worth Rs 11.49 crore of six peddlers have been frozen in Karnal. Similar actions have resulted in seizure of properties worth Rs 14.86 crore from nine peddlers in Kurukshetra; properties valued at Rs 31.67 lakh of a peddler in Nuh; assets worth Rs 2.63 lakh and Rs 32.86 lakh, respectively, of two smugglers each in Panchkula and Panipat; properties worth Rs 2.76 crore of 24 peddlers in Rohtak; properties worth Rs 5.03 crore of 21 peddlers in Sirsa; assets valued at Rs 12 lakh from two peddlers in Sonepat; and properties worth Rs 97 lakh of one peddler in Yamunanagar, the DSP said.

He stressed efforts were being made to keep youth away from drugs with the help of several sports activities in both rural and urban areas. Different competitions are being organised to engage youth in sports. To make Haryana a drug-free state, awareness camps were being organised in schools, colleges and universities, he added.

With the help of social organizations, oaths were being administered to villagers to shun drugs, the DSP said, stressing “in the majority of the cases, the police have succeeded in breaking the nexus of the drug peddlers”.