By Tasaduq Hussain
Kupwara: Owing to rise in illicit trafficking and consumption of narcotic substances across frontier district Kupwara, Police has now categorized drug peddlers into categories like that of militants as A, B and C.
Officials claims that the figures have skyrocketed as compared to past five years despite continuous detentions and crackdowns.
As per police records there are 147 FIRs registered at different police stations including those at far off sites like, Machil, Kalroose, Keran, Tangdhar and 11 accused are detained under Public Safety Act (PSA).
“Eight among them are recent cases,” officials confided.
A top police official in the district told INS that police has prepared a file in which they have categorised those involved in the consumption and trafficking as A, B and C category.
“Un category ‘A’ we have included those who have more than 3-4 FIRs registered against them or have been nabbed along huge consignments of contraband substances. ‘B’, category are those who have been nabbed before with huge amount or have least 2 FIRs registered against them subsequently in Catergory ‘C’ are those freshers who have been nabbed least once. We are now keeping a close vigil over all those framed,” Senior superintendent of police Kupwara, Shriram Ambarkar Dinkar confirmed the development.
According to Dinkar in every police station in the district have several cases of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Subatnces act, on people from several parts of valley and Kupwara as well.
Top cop in the district said that the consignments they have seized belong to ‘other side of border and is being transported into international market’.
“It’s shocking to know that those held are being used as courier boys and don’t have much information about it. The real owners always remain hidden. They are hired for specific distances only, working on directions. At times we have nabbed even women while transporting consignments,” he said.
Dinkar claimed that the narcotics from Pakistan is being transported from the border district into international markets.
“As per our reports the militant training camps run in Pakistan, is the same network that transports weapons along with drugs into valley through this district with help of locals who don’t have proper knowledge about the consignments,” he said.
SSP said that over half a dozen people from this district have been apprehended along with narcotics in different parts of India.
“There are several cases in which accused are absconding, many vehicles, bikes and other means have been seized in this regard as well,” he said, urging Non Governmental Organisation’s to step up the work to senstize the society about dangers of drug abuse.
“Whenever we produce any accused before court they easily avail the bail and repeat the offences. So far no special prosecutor has been hired to get all these accused convicted,” the top cop in the district said.
Dinkar termed the Police’s campaign against the drug abuse as ‘almost entering into a war with the criminals’
“We have almost entered into a war with those involved in substance abuse and it’s trafficking. We will continue our mission. Special teams have been constituted to keep close track,” he said.