To encourage citizens to anonymously report drug offence-related information, the Mumbai Police have launched a dedicated helpline. Aside from calling or SMSing the number — 9819111222 — citizens can send in photographs or video, and can do all this anonymously. The new helpline will be manned round the clock by the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.
The helpline was launched by Mumbai Police Commissioner D.D. Padsalgikar on Wednesday, at the inauguration of a new training hall at the Cuffe Parade Headquarters of the ANC.
“The helpline will be operated by our personnel at the headquarters,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Jayant Naiknaware, ANC, “and anyone wishing to share any narcotics related information can call this number or send a text message. We have also enabled WhatsApp for this number, and citizens can also send pictures, videos or recordings via WhatsApp. If the information is regarding drug consumption at a local level, it will be forwarded to the concerned police station. If it is related to peddling, it will be communicated to the concerned ANC unit for further action. Personnel manning the helpline will be asking the callers if they are willing to be identified, and in case anyone chooses to remain anonymous, their identities will not be shared even with the police station or unit that their information is being forwarded to. It will be entered in our diary as information from anonymous sources.”
The hall Mr. Padsalgikar inaugurated is designed for ANC training sessions, as well as for instructing other police personnel on the latest amendments in or judgements regarding the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, trends in drug peddling or drug abuse and other related topics. The first such session, a seminar on drug abuse and drug trafficking, was held on Wednesday. Aside from Mr. Padsalgikar and Mr. Naiknaware, it was attended by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjay Saxena, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) KMM Prasanna, and all ANC personnel.
Aside from calling or SMSing the number — 9819111222 — citizens can send in photographs or video
