On June 16, Haryana home minister Anil Vij said that in a 15-day operation conducted by police, around 1,300 kg of drugs were recovered, and 354 people were arrested. Haryana police launched ‘Operation Dhwast’ on June 1, and it continued till June 15.
Home Minister Vij gave the details of the recovery. He stated that 793.35 kg poppy husk, 409.90 kg ganja, 22.087 kg charas, 15.75 kg opium, 8.1 kg poppy plants, 6.28 kg heroin, 4.9 litres cough syrup and some other drugs were recovered by the Haryana police.
Vij gave details of the people arrested district-wise. He said 49 people from Gurugram were arrested, 46 from Sirsa, 23 people from Yamuna Nagar, 22 people from Palwal, 21 from Fatehabad, 20 persons from Jind, 19 people from Rewari, 18 persons from Sonipat, 14 persons from Rohtak, 14 from Faridabad, 13 persons from Nuh, 13 from Mahendragarh, 12 persons from Karnal, 12 from Ambala, 10 persons from Kurukshetra, 9 persons from Jhajjar, 9 from Panchkula, 8 from Bhiwani, 6 persons from Hansi, 6 from Panipat, 4 persons from GRP Ambala Cantt, 4 from Kaithal and 1 from Charkhi Dadri were arrested.
The police stated, “Those apprehended include notorious drug smugglers, mid-level dealers and street-level peddlers. The swift response and proactive measures adopted by the police have effectively disrupted the drug supply chain in the state, severely impacting the operations of local drug networks. The arrested offenders are currently in jail awaiting prosecution and will face the full force of the law.”
Under ‘Operation Dhwast,’ Anil Vij also gave details of the drugs recovered district-wise. He said 196.98 kg of poppy husk were recovered from Sirsa, 143.92 kg of ganja, and 4.9 litres of cough syrup have been recovered from Nuh, around 9.5 kg of smack from Rohtak, approximately 8.1 kg of poppy plants from Hansi, 6.31 kg opium from Jhajjar, 5.06644 kg of heroin from Gurugram and 0.0088 kg of morphine was recovered from Nuh.
According to Vij, Haryana Police would carry out similar operations in the future to protect the youth of the state from drugs. He issued a warning to anybody complicit in such wrongdoings, advising them to either stop their wrongdoings or leave Haryana. Otherwise, such individuals would face the strictest action from the BJP-led Haryana government.
To curb the drug menace, the Modi government has stepped up in the war on drugs and has broken the spine of narco-terrorism and insurgency. To make India drug free nation, Home Minister Amit Shah devised India’s strategy to destroy and uproot the drug network in order to secure the younger generation and launched a scathing attack on the finance of narcotic terrorism. The Ministry of Home Affairs adopted a three–pronged strategy of a zero-tolerance policy against drugs. This includes strengthening the institutional structure, empowerment and coordination of all NARCO agencies and extensive awareness campaigns.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there has been an emphasis on strengthening and accountability of the system. The Ministry of Home Affairs has made continuous efforts for institutional restructuring and strengthening of legal provisions for narcotics control and elimination. A four-tier NCORD mechanism was strengthened in 2019, with NCB as the nodal agency for better coordination and synergy. Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Drugs Controller general, National Maritime Security Coordinator, NTRO, Port Trust, Coastal Police and State Police have been included in this coordination mechanism for the smooth functioning of the war against drugs.
This year on April 19, during the inaugural event of the first National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force, Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, announced that India would be drug-free by 2047. He emphasised that ‘Team India’ and the ‘whole of Government approach’ will help India escape the menace of drugs. Amit Shah called for a “whole of Government and team India approach infight against the drug menace keeping aside political differences.”
“Keeping aside our political differences all the state governments and agencies need to come together to fight against the drug menace,” Shah further said. He added, “We will have to adopt top to bottom and bottom-to-top approach during the investigation of drug trafficking cases.”
