Pune is home for drug peddlers
Times of India: The seizure of a large consignment of brown sugar, worth Rs 1.25 crores, by the city police, on Friday, has once again brought into sharp focus the well-spread network of drug peddlers here.
The death of 19-year-old Ankit Sharma in November 2008, due to alleged drug overdose, prompted the city police to launch an awareness drive in leading colleges from January this year and nail drug peddlers operating in Pune.
Explaining the reasons for Pune emerging as a vital spot on the drug peddlers’ map, inspector G V Nikam of the anti-narcotic cell (ANC) told TOI, “As Pune is centrally located and has easy access to other cities in the state and even other states, it is emerging as a hub for drugs peddlers. We are controlling their activities by conducting raids on a regular basis.”
Nikam added that in 2008, the police seized 51 kgs of Ganja’ (marijuana), which was mainly brought from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. They also recovered seven kgs of opium, brought from Gujarat and Rajasthan border; five kgs of Charas’ (hashish), which came from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Nepal border and Jammu and Kashmir; and brown sugar from Mansoor and Jawara districts of Madya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
“In the year 2007, the ANC registered 48 cases against peddlers and seized drugs worth more than Rs 77 lakh,” he added.
Deputy commissioner of police (anti-narcotic cell) Rajendra Dahale told TOI, “We are trying our best to make Pune a drugs-free city. Whenever we receive any information about drugs being smuggled in, we conduct raids and nab peddlers. We have developed a good network of informers. In 2008, we arrested eight main drugs peddlers from other states, who were involved in trafficking drugs into the city.”
On December 6, the sleuths of anti-narcotic cell arrested three suspects, including a drug peddler, near Salisbury Park and seized 152 grams of heroin worth Rs 22.5 lakh from the trio’s possession. “This was the first time the police seized pure heroin in the city. The main suspects Salam Saylo Singh (29) hails from Manipur, had brought the contraband from the Myanmar border,” Nikam said.
Additional commissioner of police Rajender Singh said, “We are making all efforts to check drug-peddling in Pune. The crime branch has prepared a list of 200 criminals who have been arrested in narcotic cases on earlier occasions. Their activities are constantly under our scanner,” Singh said.
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Every time I hear someone dies from drugs I hope that everyone hears about it, so many young people died because of drugs and their stories need to be known, if this kind of awareness won't work I don't know what would…
Harrys, addiction treatment counselor