Last Updated on August 19, 2022 by The Health Master
Pharmaceutical manufacturing units, chemist shops, and wholesalers across Himachal Pradesh have come under the scanner of an anti-narcotics task force (ANTF), with raids conducted on 42 such units in the recent past.
The ANTF was constituted by the state police this year, which is being led by ADGP CID SP Singh along with three field units at Shimla, Kangra, and Kullu, functioning under deputy SP rank officers.
“The ANTF also functions as the narco coordination center (NCORD) secretariat in the state, which coordinates issues related to drug trafficking, drug abuse, drug de-addiction, rehabilitation & drug law enforcement inter-alia among central & state agencies,” said the director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu.
“The ANTF is currently monitoring the activities of around 1800 drug trafficking operators (DTOs) in the state through Register No. 29.
The newly launched NIDAAN portal will help in expanding the range of monitoring of DTO networks beyond the state boundaries,” he said.
The DGP said that during the last fortnight, ANTF has carried out intensive checking campaigns in the entire state with help of sniffer dogs, especially at the inter-state border areas of the state.
On the basis of secret information received from the general public, the ANTF has also conducted joint raids along with drug inspectors who are on deputation with the ANTF on certain pharmaceutical manufacturing units, wholesalers, and chemist shops.
Legal actions have also been taken against the units which are found violating provisions of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act.
More than 42 such units have been thoroughly inspected. About 10 notices have been issued to the errant units, including one case in which suspension of license has been recommended.
The ANTF unit Kullu also conducted surprise raids in the Karsog area of Mandi district, wherein two chemist shops that were being run without licenses were shut down and all medicines were seized.
Legal actions were also initiated against them. ANTF units also conducted raids in Shimla and Bilaspur districts and action has been taken for violation of norms and poor management of records.
In furtherance of this objective set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to dispose of 75,000 kilograms of contraband by August 15, the district police in Kullu have disposed of 111 kilograms of narcotic contraband and the district police in Chamba have disposed of 171 kilograms of narcotic contraband recently.
So far this year, the state police have disposed of more than 760 kg of narcotic contraband in the state, valued at more than 15 crores, said the DGP.
He said the state Police is implementing a ‘robust trial management’ mechanism, under which deposition by police officials and independent witnesses in the courts is being reviewed every week to ensure speedy trials in ND&PS cases.
Under this mechanism, 7000 police officials and around 1600 private witnesses have deposed before the courts since March 2021 which has resulted in the speedy conviction of the accused under more than 100 ND&PS Act cases.
Financial investigation under the NDPS Act is also being carried out in major drug trafficking cases by the HP Police and information in this regard has been shared with the Enforcement Directorate for investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
In the last 2 years, seizing/freezing orders have been issued in 22 cases under NDPS Act amounting to more than ₹12.5 crores.
ANTF units are also visiting schools, and colleges and carrying out awareness sessions on the ill effects of drug abuse and its impact on families and society as a whole.
The task force is also carrying out a campaign for awareness regarding the ‘Drug-Free Himachal App’.
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