Hyderabad: To curb drug menace with an iron fist and break the spine of illicit drug supply chains, the state narcotics bureau has come up with a unique strategy to get to the main suppliers.
The Telangana State Anti Narcotic Bureau (TSNAB), after conducting research on previous cases of drug peddling/supplying that were detected, have decided to target the consumers and suppliers with their latest intelligence and advanced equipment sanctioned by the state government recently.
Earlier the narcotic bureau used to focus on the peddlers more but as the demand for drugs has multiplied the rate of consumers and suppliers have drastically increased. “We have identified drug peddlers but we need to dig into it to break the main supplier chain,” a TSNAB officer said.
“We are sharing intelligence on drugs with agencies across borders to identify the main foreign suppliers involved in smuggling drugs into the country and will act accordingly,” TSNAB director Sandeep Shandilya told Deccan Chronicle.
“The deadly drug, opium is being smuggled into the country and we tested with the samples that were seized and the proportion and quality matched with a neighbouring country where opium is cultivated on a large scale and supplied all over the world,” another officer revealed.
“The TSNAB has recently purchased over 100 drug detecting test kits and distributed them in the tri-commissionerates. The unique thing about the drug detection test kits that are manufactured by Drager-3000/5000 and Abbott international companies is that it resembles any hand-held breathalyser. The hand-held device that is being used for the first time, is linked to a unit and when the officer collects saliva swab or urine sample from a drugged suspect, within six to eight minutes the device identifies any drug, quantity consumed, with time date and location on a print out that is a great achievement we have already tested and have started using in the tri commissionerates,” the officer explained.
“The drug detection unit not only detects ganja, but also cocaine, opium, heroin, MDMA, ecstasy, brown sugar, LSD or any other drug when subjected. Once we get the consumer, we will get to the main supplier. If he is within the country, we will get him and even if he is in another country we will identify him and alert the particular country’s intelligence,” he said adding that our officers are not rash to the consumers.
Giving more details on that Sandeep said, “After collecting information from the supplier, we inform their parents and our team shifts them into de-addiction and rehab centres. We do understand the feelings of a drug addict. We have sent teams to various districts of AP, Odisha and other states to get the main ganja suppliers, cultivators who have so far been working behind the screen.”
Hyderabad police commissioner K. Sreenivasa Reddy said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was very strict on drug menace and he wants Hyderabad to be a drug-free city. “Now we are completely equipped and prepared. The drug suppliers/peddlers should be scared of ‘police’ and they cannot escape from police,” Reddy said adding that police will give a second chance to a first-time consumer by placing him in a rehab and if he/she continues we will take legal action.
