Drug menace alarming, 4.4K held in 18 months in Himachal: Deputy CM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 25

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today said that the growing drug menace in Himachal was a cause for concern and the use of drones was making the problem even more serious across the 360-km porous border of the state.

Financial probe against kingpin

Action is being taken against peddlers, who are using the 360-km porous border to get drugs into Himachal from as far as Afghanistan and Pakistan. We are now getting financial investigation done to identify the kingpin of the racket and peddlers. Mukesh Agnihotri, Deputy Chief Minister

Agnihotri was replying to a question of Ghumarwin MLA Rajesh Dharmani and Nalagarh MLA KL Thakur during the Question Hour in the Vidhan Sabha. He admitted that drugs had penetrated every nook and corner of the state, including tribal areas. “Seeing the gravity of the problem, we all must rise above political considerations to fight the drug menace,” he added.

Rs 14.33 cr Property seized

Peddlers Arrested

Men Women

2,136 79

Agnihotri said that 4,445 persons had been arrested under the NDPS Act in the past 18 months and the seizure of Chitta had increased from 7.18 kg last year to 11.50 kg this year. “We have written to the Centre so that the arrest of those with 5 gm of ‘chitta’ be made non-bailable,” he added.

He said that rehabilitation centres had been opened in all 12 districts. The police had launched a special campaign called “Pradhav: Wipe Out Drugs” to eradicate the drug menace. He added that five rehabilitation centres were being run in four districts, namely Kullu (2) and one each in Una, Hamirpur, and Nurpur (Kangra).

Dharmani said, “The arrest of 4,445 drug peddlers in the past 18 months indicates the growing drug menace. Our jails are packed with people arrested under the NDPS Act. However, a majority of the arrested persons are victims and addicts and not main peddlers.”

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