Drug rackets with their ruinous influence on youth is the biggest threat to society in this age and time that calls for the highest level of awareness and preventive measures by the government. The Maharashtra government has adopted a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against drug trafficking in the state and has taken decisive steps to apply the MCOCA for drug trafficking. Under the leadership of Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the state is on its toes, implementing a whole range of anti-narcotics activities, including campaigning in the schools and colleges, campaigning through the electronics and social media, and the like, beside stepping up surveillance, intelligence sharing, and rapid action by the police departments. Due to the relentless efforts of the government, the awareness about the menace of drug abuse has increased among the common people; however, awareness should combine with alertness and action, as school and college students remain to be the most vulnerable to drug peddlers. The fight against drugs should not be the task of the police department alone; the common people should also come forward and grow resistance to drug peddling.
Anti-narcotics cell in each police station with imposition of MCOCA on drugs handlers
Describing the increasing rate of narcotics addiction among youth as devastating for the abused, their families, and the society, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reaffirmed the state’s zero-tolerance policy towards narcotics, presenting a bill allowing the application of MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) against drug traffickers and peddlers. Meanwhile, the state government has set up a separate anti-narcotics cell (ANC) in every police station to prevent drug peddling and take immediate action against it. Also, a coherent mechanism has been developed for testing, investigation, and legal action against the handlers of drugs seized through this unit. Currently, those involved in drug peddling are booked under the less strict NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, under which the arrested drug peddlers get bail and resume their activities. Therefore, CM Fadnavis, also the Home Minister of the state, has vowed to amend the laws so these people can be booked under the MCOCA act, which is much more stringent. The enactment process for the amendment to this law has already started.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on many occasions that the effort of the police department is not enough to defeat the drug cartel in the state unless the entire government machinery and the citizens become part of it.
Social Media and Cyber Police Drug Control
Before reaching the end user, drug packets change hands of several handlers, and many a time, handlers use social media to contact one another, although in cryptic forms. Cyber police cells monitor social media round the clock to provide valuable inputs to the field police departments for preemptive actions or for busting a drug cartel with evidence of the involvement of the suspects. This proves the criticality of the Fadnavis government’s decision to set up a cybercrime cell at every police station. There have been many instances of police apprehending drug peddlers based on prior information revealed through the interception of Instagram or other social media messages. Pune Police, in a crackdown last year, seized drugs worth Rs 1,100 crore and destroyed a major narcotics network. Before that, more than 350 people had been arrested in a week by conducting raids at different places. To make this campaign more effective, the government announced a 1933 toll-free drug helpline so citizens can share information with the police. All in all, Devendra Fadnavis, whenever in power, has always treated narcotics peddling with top priority and taken all measures to deactivate the rackets with strict punishment.
Demand for anti drugs fast track court
Meanwhile, a special anti-drug task force has been set up in the state to break the chain of drug trafficking gangs. Also, the Fadnavis government has demanded that the Central Government set up an anti-drug fast track court to speed up the trial of the drug peddlers.
The Maharashtra government under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis has launched a battle against drugs through various actions including all types of anti-drug awareness programs, setting up cyber crime cells at the police stations to vigil on drug supply cartel, enforcing stricter anti-drug policy and law against drug trafficking, keeping eyes on chemical companies to bust the probability of home grown sources of drugs. It has also focused on integrating multiple mechanisms for an indepth investigation and the participation of the society to make the fight against drugs more effective.
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