The police has taken a big decision to further strengthen the fight against drugs in Gujarat. Now a separate Anti-Narcotics Wing (ANW) will be formed in every district and police commissionerate of the state. These special teams will be given the responsibility of taking action only on drug related crimes. Police have been instructed to make all the units operational within the next 7 days.
This step has been taken under the 'zero tolerance' policy adopted against drug networks under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi. According to Gujarat Police, more than 3,700 cases were registered under the NDPS Act in the last five years and 5,346 accused were arrested. During the same period, more than 1.36 lakh kilograms of narcotics, whose estimated value is around Rs 13,600 crore, were seized.
There will be 8 policemen in each unit
There will be a total of eight policemen in the anti-narcotics wing. The team will include one police inspector, one police sub-inspector, two ASI/head constables and four police constables. Each unit will also be provided with a separate vehicle and driver. At the district level, ANW will work directly under the supervision of the concerned Superintendent of Police (SP). Two units each will work in Ahmedabad and Surat, while one unit each will work in Vadodara and Rajkot. The units in these cities will be monitored by Joint or Additional Police Commissioner level officers.
Keep an eye on drug smugglers and hotspots
ANW will have to work as a special task force and will not be given any other duty except NDPS related matters. These teams will continuously monitor drug smugglers and hotspots identified by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF). ANW will also be able to send proposals to CID Crime for preventive action under PIT-NDPS against habitual drug offenders. However, even after the formation of the new unit, the local police stations will continue to be responsible for investigation and action on NDPS cases. Disciplinary action will be taken if negligence of the local police comes to light during the investigation.
Use of AI technology to catch drug network
Gujarat Police has also increased the use of technology in action against drug networks. AI based software has been developed to detect dark web activities, financial transactions and international connections. Along with this, scientific investigation is being promoted in the cases, so that the conviction rate in the courts can be improved.
Along with police action, the de-addiction centers of the state are also being modernized for the youth affected by drug addiction. In this, emphasis is being laid on improving the facilities of counseling and treatment. In this way, along with taking action on the drug smuggling network, the Gujarat government is also focusing on the rehabilitation of the people affected by drug addiction.