Excise department destroys contraband items worth INR 46 lakh

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Aug. 21 (EMN): Contraband items including Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and other narcotic drugs worth an approximate amount of INR 46, 11, 275, which were seized during November 2019 to June 2020 were destroyed on August 21.

The destruction was jointly carried out by district Excise, Narcotics Cell and Mobile Squad at the Excise Directorate, Dimapur.

During the period, the Excise department had seized 5060 bottles of assorted IMFL, 10,332 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon and 1,200 bottles of Elturex cough syrup. The department had registered 144 cases under IMFL and drugs offences and realised a fine of INR 2,06,000.

During the same period, the Mobile Squad had also seized 2609 bottles of assorted IMFL, 5212 bottles of cough syrup and 6065 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon and registered 194 cases under IMFL and drugs offences. It was informed that a revenue of INR 1,92,000 was deposited to the state exchequer.

The Narcotics Cell had seized 1509 bottles of liquor, 210 kilogram of Ganja, 400 bottles of codeine cough syrup, 500 gram of Morphine and 170 gram of heroin. It had also registered a total of 162 cases under NLTP Act 1989 from November 2019 to June 2020. Besides, it also registered five cases under NDPS Act 85/D and C Act 1940 from November 2019 to January 2020.

Speaking at the destruction programme, the commissioner of Excise, Sedevikho Khro, stated that the department had done a commendable job despite shortage in manpower, equipment and with limited information network. He had also emphasised better co-ordination and understanding of enforcing agencies especially with the executives and judiciaries in order to curb the menace. He also urged all the concerned officials to set aside their differences in carrying out their social responsibilities.

Informing that the department is still lacking in terms of equipment and manpower, Khro requested the government to look into the matter and deliver state-of-art machineries to enable the department performance better. Also stating that criminals dealing in such nefarious activities are always one step ahead of the enforcing agencies, Khro urged the executive, judiciary and the enforcing agency to have better understanding in tackling the menace.

The additional deputy commissioner, Kevistuo Angami, stressed that seizing is not complete unless it reached a logical conclusion.
It was learned that the Excise department has a total manpower of only 325 personnel to manage the affair of the state. In comparison with the state police department of more than 27,000 personnel, the ration stands at 71 persons for every policeman, while it is 5500 persons for every Excise personnel.

With limited resources to meet the challenges and people’s expectation, Angami stated, adding that the fight against the social menace would be a failure unless all the enforcing agency, judiciary and society are jointly involved. He also underlined the crucial role of the media in the fight against the menace affecting the society.

Also speaking on the occasion, the judicial magistrate, Peter Resu, stated that 90 percent of the cases would all land up in acquittal or can only be jailed for six months as far as the Act is concerned. To get rid of the menace of drugs and whole criminal system, he stated that all the concerned should play their part.