Srinagar, Feb 19: With the Narcotics Control Bureau of Union Ministry of Home Affairs in its annual report 2016, having revealed that J&K was one among the top states in India where maximum drug illicit crops are cultivated, the police Monday said that it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to work together and eradicate the growing menace.
Commenting on the issue the Director General of Police S. P Vaid said over phone that apart from routine policing, Jammu and Kashmir police is fighting an aggressive war against the drug abuse and the drug mafia. “Drug abuse affects the capabilities and energies of the youth and it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to work together and eradicate the growing menace,” Vaid said.
He said that police has launched a sustained campaign to eradicate drug crops and was taking strict measures to eradicate drug menace. “Police is on job to address the major reasons which lead the youth to take drugs, besides de-addicting the drug users. Drug abuse makes the youth dependant, incapable to face the challenges and finally cost their lives, Vaid added.
The DGP said that Jammu and Kashmir Police, realizing its social responsibility have taken initiatives for the physical and mental development of the youth of the State. “Besides its professional duties, JKP have been working for drug de-addiction and such centre has already been working tremendously in the state,” the DGP said.
The DGP said that drug de-addiction is one of the major schemes under civic action programme for the development of state youth and efforts have been bringing good results.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti recently directed senior police officials to use the most draconian laws, including the Public Safety Act (PSA)–a law under which a person can be detained without trial for upto two years–against those involved in the cultivation and smuggling of drugs.
It is to mention here that some studies have reported that tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, benzodiazepines, opiates such as codeine, heroin and morphine, brown sugar, inhalants, glue, paint thinner, petrol and shoe polish are the major drugs of abuse in the state.
Experts also believe that the turmoil has also taken a huge role in pushing many youth to drugs. “Many youth who have seen the worst unfolding around them or became victims themselves turned to drugs as a means to escape the pain,” said one of the doctors.
Narcotics Control Bureau of Union Ministry of Home Affair’s report reveals that J&K is also one among the six states-West Bengal, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Bihar-where maximum poppy cultivation is being done.
The report says that J&K is one among the top states in India where maximum drug illicit crops are cultivated.
According to the report, the police seized maximum ‘Hashish’ in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and J&K. In J&K, police seized 178.47 kilograms of Hashish during 2016. Hashish or Charas is the resinous extract derived from the plant, Cannabis sativa.
During 2016, the report says that poppy was destroyed on 309 acres of land. Poppy is the source of the crude drug opium.
Police has also seized over 174.94 kg of Heroin in the state during the 2016.
The Cannabis is also being cultivated on a large scale in the state.
In the report, Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau, (NCB), Rina Mitra, said drug trafficking and drug abuses were important issues across the globe.
“NCB is the national nodal agency for drug law enforcement had been at the fore front of fighting this menace and over the years we have included many new strategies to deal with the issue,” she said.
