‘Public support key to crush drug abuse’

Baramulla, Jan 12: Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Virdi Kumar Birdi Friday called upon people to help the Police in the fight against drug abuse.

During his visit to a drug de-addiction centre in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said that the Jammu and Kashmir Police were committed to eradicating the menace of narco-terror.

The IGP Kashmir said that such cases were being pursued on priority.

He commended the efforts of the local Police in their result-oriented fight against drug addiction. However, he stressed the need for sustained and rigorous efforts, urging that the battle against the drug menace should not show any signs of fatigue.

“The J&K Police is committed to end the narco-terror. Police have pursued such cases on priority and acted against drug peddlers under the PIT-NDPS Act and NDPS Act,” Birdi told reporters.

Lauding the role of the Police in Baramulla for their result-oriented fight against drug addiction, he said that the fight against the drug menace should not show any fatigue and all efforts need to be put up a fight against the drug abuse.

“A lot has been done but we need to do a lot more and do it strictly so that the drug menace is uprooted from the society,” the IGP Kashmir said.

Before legal intervention, he said that there was a need for societal intervention.

“I also appeal to the people to bring it to our notice if anyone is indulging in such activities. We need the cooperation of society to uproot this menace,” Birdi said.

The action of Police in Baramulla against drug abuse in the last year inflicted a heavy dent in the drug trade across the north Kashmir district.

The year witnessed a series of strategic operations, legal proceedings, and community engagement initiatives that collectively showcased the dedication of the Police force to eradicating the drug menace.

During the year-long operation, Police in Baramulla filed 264 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, arrested 464 persons involved in drug smuggling and peddling, and booked 75 hardcore drug paddlers under the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking (PIT) NDPS Act and the Public Safety Act (PSA).

The Police in Baramulla while demonstrating their commitment to dismantling the infrastructure of the drug trade, attached properties worth Rs 3 crore including three houses, three vehicles, and Rs 1.2 crore cash belonging to drug smugglers.

Police in Baramulla also seized contraband worth Rs 34 crores and destroyed the confiscated contraband under the provisions of Section 25 A of the NDPS Act.