‘Drive Against Drug’ (DAD), an operation being carried out all over the central zone by the law enforcers over the past one month with a view to checking smuggling and illegal sale of narcotics substances, has resulted in the seizure of over 350 kilograms of ganja and arrest of several persons. Besides apprehending those who were involved in smuggling of the contraband, the teams have also identified some of the sources of supply and arrested a few of them.
The drive was launched in all the nine districts falling under the limits of the central zone to check illegal transportation and sale of narcotic substances especially ganja and mount surveillance on those involved in its sale besides transporters and bulk handlers so as to pursue after them. The operation launched all over the zone on the instruction of the Inspector General of Police, Central Zone V. Balakrishnan resulted in seizure of contrabands worth over ₹ 32 lakh and arrest of over 280 persons till now. The number of cases booked in this connection so far was more than 170, say police sources.
As part of the drive, field-level police officers were instructed to cull out ‘active’ persons from the list of ganja offenders. The drive was launched as the coastal areas in the central zone remained an active conduit route for smuggling of ganja and other narcotic substances through the sea route to neighbouring countries, say police sources. It was also felt that smuggling of ganja and its consumption not only led to addiction but also provided a congenial atmosphere for anti-social activities to thrive. And hence the launch of the Drive Against Drug campaign.
Coastal Nagapattinam district topped in the central zone in respect of seizure of the contraband while carrying out the drives. A little over 270 kilograms of the contraband was confiscated with the number of those arrested exceeding 30 persons. Thanjavur - another coastal district in the zone saw the seizure of over 83 kilograms of ganja with the police arresting 97 persons and booking 51 cases. Karur district figured third in the list with the quantity of the contraband seized being a little over 45 kilograms leading to the arrest of 41 persons. Seizures of the contraband were also made in Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai districts. Police sources say sources of supply were identified based on interrogation of those held for smuggling of ganja leading to the arrest of some of them. A few drug offenders were detained under the Goondas Act as a deterrent measure.
The objective of the drive was also to find out the source of supply with some of them found to be from Madurai and Dindigul, said IG Balakrishnan adding that the drive was being done based on local information and intelligence inputs and by forming teams to apprehend the accused. The contraband was mostly found to be smuggled from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh through Chennai, he said. The coastal vigilance committees have been asked to provide information regarding smuggling of the contraband in their respective villages, he said and added that the drive would continue.
