The enforcement agencies of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) will be coming together to use technology to check ganja cultivation and smuggling, especially in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam district.
This was disclosed by State Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) Harish Kumar Gupta here on Wednesday.
He was chairing a meeting of all stakeholders in the enforcement of the Act such as Prohibition and Excise, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Customs, police, and Narcotics Control Bureau.
According to him, the government is contemplating using drones and GIS mapping of the entire Agency area of the district, especially in the interior parts of Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) that are inaccessible due to the terrain or Maoist influence.
Exclusive dog squad
When asked about the recent talks with Israel for improving surveillance in the Agency areas by using aerostat technology, he said talks were under way and the technology might be used.
Aerostats are balloons or blimps fitted with high-definition cameras that can be remotely operated.
This apart, the police are also planning to set up an exclusive dog squad to address the ganja problem in each district.
Mr. Harish Gupta spoke about inter-department and inter-State coordination to tackle the smuggling activity.
“Smuggling has grown exponentially and the network is now pan-India.
“This calls for inter-department and inter-State enforcement and we are progressing in that direction,” he said.
The ADG informed that many of the field officers are not fully aware of the Act and the relevant sections. “We will be conducting training classes to train them,” he said.
Agreeing there were cases of connivance between the police officers and ganja smugglers, he said:
“We have already taken strict action against a few of them, and in the future also such cases will be dealt with seriously.”
Director of Prohibition and Excise K. Venkateswara Rao said that action had been taken against a couple of excise officials for colluding with the smugglers.
According to Mr. Venkateswara Rao, the enforcement agencies will also involve revenue, agriculture, and horticulture departments to wean away the cultivators from growing ganja.
“We have to show a good cash crop or an alternative economic model, and that is why we plan to involve other departments,” he said.
IG of CID Amit Garg, IG, North Coastal Zone, Kumar Viswajeet, Commissioner of Police, Visakhapatnam, T. Yoganand, and Deputy Commissioner, Excise, Gopalkrishna, were present.
