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KOHIMA — The Nagaland Police has apprehended 12 persons involved in drug-related cases from Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur within a month, taking the total arrests this year to 456. The investigations into these cases are currently ongoing.
Announcing this at a press conference held at the Police Headquarters in Kohima, Director General of Police (DGP), Rupin Sharma, hailed these arrests as one of the greatest feats by the Nagaland Police in the crackdown effort on drug networks.
The ongoing case, registered under the Kohima DEF, Zubza Police Station, involved the apprehension of two suspects in separate vehicles on November 13 along the National Highway-2.
Providing further details, Sharma informed that initially, one individual, not in possession of drugs, denied involvement, while the other, found with illicit substances, admitted guilty. However, it was found out after a relentless interrogation that the latter had transported drugs approximately 90 to 100 times during the past year, averaging 70 to 80 boxes of heroin each time, he said, adding that the bank records indicated initial transactions totalling about INR 6 to INR 7 crore.
Notably, a staggering 50 to 60 kilograms of drugs were transported by this single network in the past year.
“This has unearthed the larger nexus operating in NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) trafficking which is spread across mainly Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, and possibly other states of the country. The cases are still under investigation, and there is the possibility of involvement of many other people in this network, which shall be unearthed soon,” said the DGP, underscoring the magnitude of the network.
Assuring continued effort, he said that Nagaland Police is actively coordinating with its counterparts in Manipur, Assam, and West Bengal to get hold of other criminals in the network.
The state police chief went on to say that the focus in most of the past investigations was to apprehend individuals in possession of drugs, but the aim has now shifted to uncovering and breaking the broader nexus involved in the supply chain of NDPS.
With this strategic shift, efforts are being made to develop the forward and backward linkages in NDPS cases and apprehend all the persons operating in the network, he emphasised.
Providing an update on police personnel involved in drug-related cases, Sharma disclosed that 49 personnel are implicated, with eight already dismissed. A departmental inquiry is at an advanced stage, and punitive measures are anticipated before Christmas, he added.
He also revealed that the police have arrested at least three government servants from other departments for consumption, transportation and sale of drugs. In this regard, he said the respective departments have been notified, and necessary proceedings are expected to be initiated.
Cautioning that it is not just the police who are under the scanner, the police chief said ‘criminals are criminals and anyone who is involved in a crime is under the scanner, whether they are government servants or civilians’.
While urging the public to remain vigilant and avoid unwittingly aiding traffickers, he warned not to allow strangers, or even from known circles, use bank accounts, vehicles, courier services, or store packets in their premises.
Sharma also announced the installation of a machine for chemical and forensic analysis of narcotic drug samples, which is expected to commence operations soon.
The press conference was held in the presence of Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Sandeep M Tamgadge and Inspector General of Police CID Vikram Khalate.
456 persons arrested this year
Meanwhile, it was updated that a total of 318 NDPS-related cases have been registered since January 1, 2023, resulting in the arrest of 456 persons.
According to the Nagaland Police, items seized this year include 1171.5 kg of ganja, 32.645 kg opium, 26.631 kg heroin, 5.465 kg brown sugar, 460 gm of recreational drug, 94,787 banned tablets and 6139 bottles of cough syrup.