Tag: drug trafficking

  • Gujarat: Drug hauls, water crisis and communal divide dominate poll scene in Kutch

    By PTI

    KUTCH: As the Pakistan bordering Kutch district of Gujarat goes to polls next month, drug hauls worth thousands of crores of rupees, water crisis in this arid region and sporadic incidents of communal clashes have become major election issues in the area.

    Last year, in a major drug haul, around 3,000 kg of heroin worth nearly Rs 21,000 crore was seized at the Mundra Port in Kutch, the country’s largest district which shares land and marine border with Pakistan.

    While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been trying to project it as national security being in safe hands with the saffron camp in power, the opposition Congress has questioned the failure of the state and the Centre from stopping drug trafficking.

    There have also been a number of other cases of drugs seizure in Kutch in the recent past.

    “The question is not about how much was seized, but how this (heroin seized last year) consignment came under the radar. What about other such consignments which might have passed without being noticed? The people of the state want to know what steps have been taken to prevent such incidents,” state Congress leader and spokesperson Lalit Vasoya told PTI.

    The Congress, in its campaign, especially in the bordering areas, has been harping on the issue of drug menace in the state and the Kutch region being used as a safe passage by drug traffickers.

    Refuting the allegations as baseless, BJP’s Kutch district media in-charge Satvik Gadhvi said the drug seizure is an example of the fact that his party, unlike the Congress, never compromises on the issue of national security.

    “For the BJP, the nation comes first, unlike the Congress for which the vote bank is first and foremost. The seizure proves that the nation and the state are safe,” he said.

    Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held on December 1 and 5.

    Kutch, which goes to polls in the first phase on December 1, has six Assembly constituencies – Abdasa, Bhuj, Rapar, all bordering Pakistan, and Mandvi, Anjar and Gandhidham.

    In 2017, the BJP won four of these seats, while the Congress bagged the minority-influenced Abdasa along with the Rapar constituency.

    But, the MLA from Abdasa switched over to the saffron camp in 2020 and later won the seat on the BJP’s ticket.

    As per the 2011 census data, Kutch had 76.89 per cent Hindus and 21.14 per cent Muslims, with Abdasa and Bhuj Assembly constituencies having a considerable minority population.

    While Gujarat had been in news for the post-2002 Godhra riots, Kutch, which was reeling under the effect of the 2001 earthquake, remained insulated from communal politics until a few years back.

    But it is not the case this time as there has been a simmering communal divide in various parts of Kutch over multiple issues, including sporadic incidents of such violence reported in the last two years.

    In August this year, a murder led to a communal clash in Madhapur village in Kutch.

    In January last year, there was a clash between members of two communities in Kidana village during a rally for collection of funds for the Ram temple construction.

    “Kutch has always been peaceful despite whatever is happening in other parts of the state. But the situation is not the same now. There is an atmosphere of mistrust among communities, and political parties are trying to gain from it,” 68-year-old fruit vendor in Bhuj town Parwez Sheikh claimed.

    But, Kutch BJP district unit leader Ghanshyam Thakkar told PTI that his party has maintained communal harmony in the area.

    “The Congress and the AIMIM are trying to disturb the communal harmony of the area,” he claimed.

    “We will never allow this to happen,” he added.

    According to district Congress leaders, the entry of new players, like the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has further made the poll fight interesting in the region, with minorities now having options other than the grand old party.

    The AAP is contesting in all the six seats, while the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM is contesting in two seats.

    Some local BJP leaders, on condition of anonymity, claimed the saffron camp will gain from the AAP and AIMIM contesting the polls.

    “In Bhuj and Abdasa, if the AIMIM and AAP respectively manage to cut even 15,000 opposition votes, it would benefit us,” a BJP leader said.

    The opposition Congress this time hopes to make a clean sweep against the BJP in the district.

    Kutch district Congress President Yajuvendra Jadeja said the BJP knows that 27 years of anti-incumbency is taking a heavy toll on it, and they are using everything at their disposal to win the elections.

    “From using the AIMIM and the AAP, they are doing everything to divide the opposition. But it won’t yield any results. These two parties are just B-teams of the BJP,” he claimed.

    However, the AAP and the AIMIM district leadership have dubbed such allegations as “baseless”.

    “We are not the B-team of any party. The truth is that neither the BJP nor the Congress has done anything for the Muslim community of Gujarat,” AIMIM candidate from Bhuj Sakil Sama said.

    Another key issue in the region is the water crisis, especially getting supply from the Narmada river.

    The Kutch Branch Canal is a branch of the Narmada Main Canal (NMC), which originates at Kevadia and is supposed to provide water to the Mandvi area.

    In other areas, such as Abdasa and Bhuj, the work for a pipeline for the canal connecting it with the NMC is yet to start, thus leaving the entire region yearning for water.

    Locals depend on deep borewells, rainwater or government tankers for water supply in the region.

    The local BJP unit agreed that “water crisis” is a major issue, but blamed the Narmada Bachao Andolan for the constant delay in the Sardar Sarovar Project.

    “The entire project has been delayed due to the Narmada Bachao Andolan. We are confident that once the elections are over, the work will start on a war footing to set up the infrastructure to bring in regular water supply in the region,” BJP MLA from Abdasa Pradhyuman Sinh Jadeja told PTI.

    On the other hand, the Congress claims water crisis in the region is the biggest example of the BJP’s administrative and political failure.

    “Even after 27 years, if you have to blame others for failing to provide water in the region, then BJP leaders should quit politics and sit back at home. This is the biggest example of BJP’s administrative failure,” Yajuvendra Jadeja said.

    Senior AAP leader Ankita Gor said if voted to power, the party would ensure drinking water facilities in each household of the region.

    KUTCH: As the Pakistan bordering Kutch district of Gujarat goes to polls next month, drug hauls worth thousands of crores of rupees, water crisis in this arid region and sporadic incidents of communal clashes have become major election issues in the area.

    Last year, in a major drug haul, around 3,000 kg of heroin worth nearly Rs 21,000 crore was seized at the Mundra Port in Kutch, the country’s largest district which shares land and marine border with Pakistan.

    While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been trying to project it as national security being in safe hands with the saffron camp in power, the opposition Congress has questioned the failure of the state and the Centre from stopping drug trafficking.

    There have also been a number of other cases of drugs seizure in Kutch in the recent past.

    “The question is not about how much was seized, but how this (heroin seized last year) consignment came under the radar. What about other such consignments which might have passed without being noticed? The people of the state want to know what steps have been taken to prevent such incidents,” state Congress leader and spokesperson Lalit Vasoya told PTI.

    The Congress, in its campaign, especially in the bordering areas, has been harping on the issue of drug menace in the state and the Kutch region being used as a safe passage by drug traffickers.

    Refuting the allegations as baseless, BJP’s Kutch district media in-charge Satvik Gadhvi said the drug seizure is an example of the fact that his party, unlike the Congress, never compromises on the issue of national security.

    “For the BJP, the nation comes first, unlike the Congress for which the vote bank is first and foremost. The seizure proves that the nation and the state are safe,” he said.

    Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held on December 1 and 5.

    Kutch, which goes to polls in the first phase on December 1, has six Assembly constituencies – Abdasa, Bhuj, Rapar, all bordering Pakistan, and Mandvi, Anjar and Gandhidham.

    In 2017, the BJP won four of these seats, while the Congress bagged the minority-influenced Abdasa along with the Rapar constituency.

    But, the MLA from Abdasa switched over to the saffron camp in 2020 and later won the seat on the BJP’s ticket.

    As per the 2011 census data, Kutch had 76.89 per cent Hindus and 21.14 per cent Muslims, with Abdasa and Bhuj Assembly constituencies having a considerable minority population.

    While Gujarat had been in news for the post-2002 Godhra riots, Kutch, which was reeling under the effect of the 2001 earthquake, remained insulated from communal politics until a few years back.

    But it is not the case this time as there has been a simmering communal divide in various parts of Kutch over multiple issues, including sporadic incidents of such violence reported in the last two years.

    In August this year, a murder led to a communal clash in Madhapur village in Kutch.

    In January last year, there was a clash between members of two communities in Kidana village during a rally for collection of funds for the Ram temple construction.

    “Kutch has always been peaceful despite whatever is happening in other parts of the state. But the situation is not the same now. There is an atmosphere of mistrust among communities, and political parties are trying to gain from it,” 68-year-old fruit vendor in Bhuj town Parwez Sheikh claimed.

    But, Kutch BJP district unit leader Ghanshyam Thakkar told PTI that his party has maintained communal harmony in the area.

    “The Congress and the AIMIM are trying to disturb the communal harmony of the area,” he claimed.

    “We will never allow this to happen,” he added.

    According to district Congress leaders, the entry of new players, like the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has further made the poll fight interesting in the region, with minorities now having options other than the grand old party.

    The AAP is contesting in all the six seats, while the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM is contesting in two seats.

    Some local BJP leaders, on condition of anonymity, claimed the saffron camp will gain from the AAP and AIMIM contesting the polls.

    “In Bhuj and Abdasa, if the AIMIM and AAP respectively manage to cut even 15,000 opposition votes, it would benefit us,” a BJP leader said.

    The opposition Congress this time hopes to make a clean sweep against the BJP in the district.

    Kutch district Congress President Yajuvendra Jadeja said the BJP knows that 27 years of anti-incumbency is taking a heavy toll on it, and they are using everything at their disposal to win the elections.

    “From using the AIMIM and the AAP, they are doing everything to divide the opposition. But it won’t yield any results. These two parties are just B-teams of the BJP,” he claimed.

    However, the AAP and the AIMIM district leadership have dubbed such allegations as “baseless”.

    “We are not the B-team of any party. The truth is that neither the BJP nor the Congress has done anything for the Muslim community of Gujarat,” AIMIM candidate from Bhuj Sakil Sama said.

    Another key issue in the region is the water crisis, especially getting supply from the Narmada river.

    The Kutch Branch Canal is a branch of the Narmada Main Canal (NMC), which originates at Kevadia and is supposed to provide water to the Mandvi area.

    In other areas, such as Abdasa and Bhuj, the work for a pipeline for the canal connecting it with the NMC is yet to start, thus leaving the entire region yearning for water.

    Locals depend on deep borewells, rainwater or government tankers for water supply in the region.

    The local BJP unit agreed that “water crisis” is a major issue, but blamed the Narmada Bachao Andolan for the constant delay in the Sardar Sarovar Project.

    “The entire project has been delayed due to the Narmada Bachao Andolan. We are confident that once the elections are over, the work will start on a war footing to set up the infrastructure to bring in regular water supply in the region,” BJP MLA from Abdasa Pradhyuman Sinh Jadeja told PTI.

    On the other hand, the Congress claims water crisis in the region is the biggest example of the BJP’s administrative and political failure.

    “Even after 27 years, if you have to blame others for failing to provide water in the region, then BJP leaders should quit politics and sit back at home. This is the biggest example of BJP’s administrative failure,” Yajuvendra Jadeja said.

    Senior AAP leader Ankita Gor said if voted to power, the party would ensure drinking water facilities in each household of the region.

  • Nijaat Campaign: A mission on its way to achieve drug-free society in Chhattisgarh’s Koriya  

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR: Nijaat (Riddance) as a crusade has gained ground against drug abuse and trafficking, strengthened actions to make choices to live a healthy life and secure an ultimate objective to achieve a drug-addiction free Koriya district in north Chhattisgarh.

    Any region can remain vulnerable to illegal drugs or it’s peddling. And its a tough task for law enforcement agencies to cope with the challenge and check related crimes.  

    The Koriya police took the onus to wipe out the abuse of illicit drugs, narcotics and bootlegging while simultaneously preventing its smuggling or trading through its Nijaat drive. The district took a three-prong strategy: tough action, intensive awareness, counselling of addicted ones.

    The mobilisation campaign began in July this year by the Koriya police in collaboration with the people including the people’s representatives and the women at the grassroots level.

    The push got a further boost with the positive evaluation and acclamation from celebrities, film actors, noted folk singers and opinion makers.

    The campaign got the major impetus as it worked in consonance with the directive of the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel to the state police to swiftly act and prevent drug smuggling.

    To begin with, the Koriya police succeeded to convince the people interacting with them, particularly the youths and women about the harmful consequences of drug addiction and making a personal choice to live a healthy life. Lives of hundreds of families are filled with joys as affected members are now breaking the cycle of addiction.

    “We succeeded to rope in the cooperation of the masses for our campaign intended towards accomplishing the dream of turning Koriya district free from drug abuse and trafficking. The people began taking a pledge, supported us even as we scaled up our enforcement within and created a deterrent impact against illegal drug business and trafficking”, said Santosh Kumar Singh, the Koriya district superintendent of police, who pioneered the drive with intensified efforts.  

    The campaign saw wall paintings, rallies by youths and students, hoarding, organising rangoli during festive occasions in support of Nijaat campaign, bike and bicycle rallies against the social crime like substance abuse or addiction and infused better understanding of the threat.

    The purposefully driven goal witnessed intensified dedicated efforts and within a short span of five months saw 887 cases registered. The Koriya police in cooperation with the people arrested 923 drug traffickers, paddlers and bootleggers.

    Rohit Gupta, 30 and Ammu Kumar, 25 (both drug addicts) are among the hundreds who are seeking counselling and treatment at a major Opioid Substitution Therapy and de-addiction rehabilitation centre facilitated by the police in the district having over 8 lakh population.

  • 3 Assam Rifles jawans held for drug trafficking, contraband worth Rs 1 crore seized

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The Assam Police arrested three Assam Rifles personnel and a civilian for trafficking drugs.

    The arrests were made at Jokai near Dibrugarh in upper Assam based on inputs shared by the Army intelligence. The three defence personnel are posted in Nagaland’s Kohima.

    The seized drugs, weighing 269 grams, were valued at Rs 1 crore in the international black market.

    Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra said the police had received inputs on Thursday that some people were travelling to Tinsukia in a car from Jorhat for drug dealing.

    “We activated a police team and it intercepted the vehicle. Four persons were travelling. Their interrogation revealed they were travelling for the drugs trade. They confessed that they left the drugs in another vehicle at Dergaon (in Golaghat district). A team was sent. It seized the vehicle and the drugs this morning,” Mishra said.

    The accused told their interrogators they had procured the drugs from a woman in Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur. The contraband was to be delivered to a drugs dealer in Tinsukia, the SP added.

    The police registered a case under sections 22(c)/27A/29 of the NDPS Act.

  • Addiction is not cool or style statement: PM Narendra Modi on International Day against Drug Abuse

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: On the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for realising the vision of a drugs-free India, noting that they bring darkness, destruction and devastation.

    Today, on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, I laud all those working at the grassroots to eliminate the menace of drugs from our society. Every such effort to #SaveLives is vital. After all, drugs bring with it darkness, destruction and devastation. pic.twitter.com/1wVCFkcmNX
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 26, 2021

    He tweeted, “Today, on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, I laud all those working at the grassroots to eliminate the menace of drugs from our society. Every such effort to save lives is vital. After all, drugs bring with it darkness, destruction and devastation.”

    He added, “Let us reiterate our commitment to share facts on drugs and realise our vision of a drugs free India. Remember- addiction is neither cool nor a style statement.” The prime minister also shared an old Mann Ki Baat episode which contained many aspects of overcoming the drugs menace.