Over 1330 persons have been arrested in 726 cases registered under NDPS Act in the past 13 years in Meghalaya, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home (Police), Prestone Tynsong said.
Tynsong was replying to a call attention notice moved by UDP legislator from Nongpoh, Mayralborn Syiem in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
From the year 2010 till March 17, 2023, a total of 726 cases under the NDPS Act was registered, out of which 426 cases have been charge-sheeted, 77 cases have been returned in the final report and in 223 cases, the investigation is still ensuing, Tynsong said.
Around 1330 persons have been arrested, out of which 1193 arrested persons are male and 117 are females, he added.
In terms of seizure of narcotics and psychotropic substances, Tynsong said the department has been able to seize a total of 26,678.96 grams of heroin, 10,209.26 kgs of ganja or cannabis, 2796.36 grams of opium, 93.33 kgs of Methamphetamine tablets or Yaba tablets, 25,260.65 grams of other psychotropic substances and 90,321 bottles of codeine cough syrup since 2010 till March 17, 2023.
He said in addition to the massive crackdown on the menace of drugs by the Meghalaya police, the department has also introduced several measures which will enhance the detection of drug trafficking and increase awareness among the general public regarding the perils of drug consumption.
He said the Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) has been set up at the district level under the direct supervision of the district superintendent of police to check and prevent drug trafficking within the state.
The Meghalaya police also acquired four narcotic sniffer dogs posted at Dog Squad K-9 Unit, Shillong. The Narcotic K-9 unit in collaboration with the ANTFs is conducting regular surprise checks of vehicles along the national highway as well as in cities or towns and vulnerable places which are prone to the illicit trafficking of drugs.
Further, the deputy chief minister has informed that the police department has also moved a proposal to invoke stringent provisions of The Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, which prescribes for the detention of persons who are habitual traffickers of drugs and psychotropic substances.
“The department has also undertaken several steps to strengthen the drug testing laboratory of the state which is the forensic science laboratory. The department has already acquired the Gas Chromatography mass Spectrometry machine (GCMS) which is for screening of controlled substances and is also in the process of recruiting experts for the state’s laboratory,” he added.
Tynsong also informed that several training programmes and courses on drug law enforcement are being conducted for officers and personnel of Meghalaya police in police training school (PTS) and CID headquarters, Shillong.
“The department is also focusing on counselling and rehabilitation of drug addicts in collaboration with NGOs,” he said while appealing to the citizens that the nuisance of drugs is not the subject matter of the police or home department alone nor of those individuals or families which have been affected by it but it is the collective responsibility of each and every one.
“I implore the citizens of the state to join hands with the police in its effort to curb the menace of drug trafficking and consumption in the state and together we will eradicate this menace for the brighter future of today’s generation and the generations to come,” he added.
