Patna: The smuggling of drugs and intoxicating substances has shown a concerning rise in Patna district, as revealed by the large-scale seizures made by the police during March this year.In a single month, authorities recovered a massive 457.6kg of ganja; 11,535 intoxicating tablets; 284.72gms of intoxicating capsules; 29.64kg of smack or brown sugar; 288 litres of cough syrup; 41,877 pieces of intoxicating injections, and 2kg of ‘bhang’.The issue of large-scale recovery of drugs came up during a district-level monthly crime review meeting for March held under the chairmanship of Patna SSP Kartikeya K Sharma. The meeting was attended by all SPs, SDPOs, DSPs and SHOs of the district.During the meeting, officials pending cases, trends in serious crimes and the progress of investigations in March was made. To strengthen crime control, all police officers were instructed to work in a coordinated, result-oriented and proactive manner.The SSP said the smuggling of drugs and intoxicating items has been continuously rising for quite some time. “Earlier there was less focus on this issue, resulting in fewer seizures, but sustained efforts are now being made to dismantle the network,” he said.Sharma told TOI that a large portion of the injections and other narcotics are being brought into Patna from neighbouring states, particularly Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, while the smack usually comes from North-East region. Detailing the drug cartel, he said there is a well-established network involving multiple layers — from stockists to retailers — which makes it time-consuming to reach the upper echelons of the racket. He further said that in most cases, the contraband is delivered through vehicles and trains and then distributed at different locations within the city. The distribution network is pre-established, with fixed supply chains and multiple operatives handling the movement and concealment of the drugs, the SSP added.The SSP said at the meeting special emphasis was laid on ensuring quality, impartial and time-bound investigations, particularly in serious and sensitive cases related to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, crimes against women, the Pocso Act and other heinous offences. “Instructions were given for strict action against criminals through regular arrests, prompt execution of pending warrants and attachment orders, speeding up of seizure and forfeiture proceedings, and launching intensive campaigns against absconding criminals,” the SSP said.He also stressed the need for continuous special drives with strict monitoring to recover illegal weapons, curb the smuggling of narcotic substances, tackle cybercrimes and control other organised criminal activities.Further directions were issued to reinforce active patrolling, improve the intelligence-gathering mechanism, enhance surveillance on criminals and ensure swift and effective police response to suspicious activities.In addition to the major narcotic seizures, the police also recovered 48 country-made desi katas (firearms), 15 country-made pistols, a revolver, four country-made rifles, two double-barrel guns, 1,518 live cartridges and 59 cartridge cases under the Arms Act, leading to 105 arrests in arms-related cases.Overall, a total of 3,887 arrests were made under various crime heads during March. Maner police station recorded the highest number of 248 arrests, followed by Bihta (143), Fatuha (134), Khushrupur (108), Parsa Bazar (105), Nadi (102), Malsalami (93), Digha (86), Agamkuan (85) and Masaurhi (76).In terms of case registrations, Phulwarisharif police station reported the highest incidence with a total of 222 cases, including 38 serious and 184 non-serious cases. It was followed by Maner (204), Masaurhi (193), Alamganj (164), Danapur (152), Ramkrishna Nagar (139), Kankarbagh (134), Jakkanpur (133), Kadamkuan (118) and Gardanibagh (117).The SSP reviewed the performance of all police stations during the meeting and called for sustained vigilance and proactive policing to effectively maintain law and order while addressing the rising challenge of drug smuggling in the district.
