Maharashtra To Set Up Anti-Narcotics Cell in Every Police Station

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government on Friday announced the establishment of an anti-narcotic cell (ANC) at all the police stations. Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the legislative council that he has warned the police if their involvement is found in the cases of drugs, they would be terminated from the police service. Mr. Fadnavis was replying to the opposition’s debate motion on the law and order situation, agrarian crisis and other issues in the state.

The opposition legislators raised concerns about the reported cases of drugs being openly sold in the vicinity of educational institutes, dance bars operating in the state and deteriorating situation of law and order. The Pune police had recently cracked down on one of the largest drug trafficking networks.

Replying to the Opposition’s debate, Mr. Fadnavis said that the state government has taken a serious congisance of the drugs menace. He further informed that the state government has decided to set up at every police station in order to contain the business of the drugs across the state.

“I have already stated in the house that there will be zero tolerance against the drug (menaces). Our forces have been taking actions in this regard,” Mr. Fadnavis, who heads the home department, said.

The home minister said that the police have been instructed to probe the links of arrested drug peddlers. Earlier, the police used to file a charge-sheet in the drug cases after arrests and conclude investigations, he said.

“The police have now been asked to probe the forward and backward linkages in all the cases of drugs be it 50 mg or any big matter…how the peddler has received the drug and whom he had served. These links would be probed,” Mr. Fadnavis said.