Delhi Police tighten noose on drug peddlers under stringent PITNDPS Act

New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) Delhi police have stepped up action against notorious drug traffickers under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PITNDPS Act), with plans to detain nearly three dozen offenders.

One of them is 40-year-old Kusum, a well-known figure in the city’s criminal records.

The PITNDPS Act allows preventive detention of accused traffickers for up to one year without trial. The police have to prove their sustained involvement in drug trafficking to a screening committee of the Narcotics Control Bureau. Once cleared, the Ministry of Home Affairs approves the detention.

Police officials said that since 2021, they have invoked this act to crack down on drug traffickers and disrupt their networks. In one instance, a repeat offender from Bareilly, arrested multiple times with large quantities of heroin, was transferred to a jail in Chennai to isolate him from his associates.

So far this year, four detention orders have been issued under the act, with three already executed. The crackdown is part of the government’s “Nasha Mukt Bharat” (Drug-Free India) campaign.

While only 28 traffickers were detained under PITNDPS in the past four years, police now plan to act against 35 offenders this year alone. A list of repeat offenders -- those involved in two or more cases -- is being compiled by various police districts.

Kusum, who is currently absconding, remains a key target. A financial probe has already led to the attachment of assets worth Rs 5 crore allegedly amassed through drug money. These include assets in Sultanpuri in northwest Delhi, and Rohini’s Sector–24.

Though the process is lengthy, officials said proceedings are underway and efforts have intensified to clamp down on the drug trade across the capital.

--IANS

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