Shimla: With 10 cases in 24 hours and 183 in just a month’s time under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act across multiple districts, Himachal Pradesh has gone on a major crackdown against drugs, which has become the biggest challenge in the peaceful mountain state.
Director General of Police Ashok Tiwari said: “The police were fully geared up to put the drug trafficking gangs behind bars and also create large-scale public awareness among the youths and their parents to shun drugs and lead better lives”
He said the police have initiated a well-coordinated and multi-pronged campaign involving all key stakeholders to tackle the growing menace of narcotics. This includes close collaboration with local communities, intelligence agencies, district administrations, and anti-narcotics units to ensure a systematic and sustained crackdown.
The aim, he emphasised, is not just to curb illegal activities temporarily but to dismantle the entire network behind them and create a long-term, deterrent impact across the region.
The break-up of the 183 cases includes 14 commercial, 85 intermediate, 58 small quantity, 21 cultivation-related, and five under Section 27.
In all, 258 persons have been arrested during the period.
Besides this, 21 preventive detention proposals were also initiated and six detention orders were sanctioned, the highest three in Solan district, while one each in Sirmaur, Nurpur, and Kangra. Four proposals are pending for approval.
Apart from this, property worth Rs 2.69 crore was also attached in five cases.
The quantity of the drugs seized included 33.59 kg Charas, 1.08 kg Heroin, 71.62 kg Poppy Husk, 3.39 kg Opium, 2415 tablets/capsules, 28.07 gm Amphetamine, 22.08 gm Ketamine and 41 injections.
The Special Task Force and Anti-Narcotics Task Force are also raising awareness among the general public about the harmful effects of drugs through awareness campaigns. These campaigns involve students from schools and colleges, who are encouraged to provide suggestions on how to tackle the problem of drug abuse.