Srinagar, May 22: Despite an all-out offensive against the drug traffickers and cultivation of plants yielding drugs, the police seized 11131.67 kilogram of various contraband during last year.
 Officials revealed that in year 2009, 168.775 kg of Charas, 01.390 kg of Opium and 10961.505 kg of Opium derivatives were seized from the drug traffickers. “Police registered 505 cases against the traffickers across the Jammu and Kashmir since January 2009 and arrested 627 persons,” officials revealed during the seventh State Level Apex Committee meeting for prevention of drug trafficking and its illicit cultivation held recently.
 They said the drug cultivation spread over an area of 23,455 kanals of land was destroyed in Kashmir by various government agencies, whereas during the current year similar cultivation over 1656 kanals were destroyed so far.
 Similarly, 51.974 kg of Charas, 02.414 kg Opium, 16577.550 kg of Opium derivatives, 68 kg Bhang and 24 kg of Ghanja were seized by April this year.
 Giving details about the increasing drug abuse in the Valley, police revealed, 169 drug abuse cases were registered last year, almost double the figures registered in 2008.
 The IGP Crime told the meeting that the task of illicit cultivation of drugs had been allotted to various agencies to quantify the problem of illicit cultivation in their respective areas. He said special destruction drive for illicit cultivation of poppy and bhang has been launched by various departments.
 For preventing illegal import of drugs and trafficking from neighbouring states, field staff has been geared up at Lakhanpur Toll Post to curb the import of drugs, he added.
 Authorities are now calling for a joint offensive by Police, Revenue, Excise department and Crime Branch to eradicate the menace.
 Senior Superintendent of Police, (CB), Abdul Gaffar Malik said his department was going into the genesis of the problem. “All the drugs opium, charas, bhang or other derivatives is produced locally. We have and will damage all the drug-yielding crops wherever their cultivation is reported,” he said.
 About the curbs on drug trafficking, he said, “There is no cross-border trafficking of the contrabands.”
(With inputs from Syed Amjad)

Lastupdate on : Sat, 22 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
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