Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government on Wednesday said drugs worth ₹3,727 crore were seized across the state in the last two years under its zero-tolerance policy against narcotics, with police also acting against properties and illegal constructions linked to drug traffickers.
Gujarat home minister Kaushik Vekariya told the Assembly that 1,647 cases were registered in the last two years and about 41,000 kg of drugs were seized with an estimated market value of ₹3,727 crore.
Deputy CM Harsh Sanghvi said the state was pursuing the goal of a drug-free Gujarat through strict enforcement and sustained investigations. He said the Gujarat police carried out top-to-bottom investigations to trace drug networks to their roots and take action against all those involved.
Sanghvi said properties worth ₹32.20 crore belonging to drug traffickers were seized in Kutch district. He said illegal structures linked to the drug trade were demolished, including structures raised on gauchar and government land in Jamnagar. He said the police, in coordination with forces of other states, dismantled inter-state drug networks, including those operated by “the Pandi brothers”. He said drug manufacturing units were also detected and busted both within Gujarat and in other states.
Sanghvi said the government had adopted a dual approach by combining legal action with rehabilitation. He said drug-addicted youth were being counselled along with their families in cities such as Surat and Ahmedabad under the supervision of police commissioners, instead of being sent to jail. He said the state budget this year provided for opening de-addiction centres in every district to ensure local support.
Vekariya said Jamnagar and Kutch districts accounted for 135 cases, in which 306 accused were arrested and drugs worth more than ₹244.59 crore were seized. He said the anti-terrorist squad and other agencies remained alert to prevent drug trafficking through sea routes. He said an anti-narcotics task force was operational across six zones in the state to break organised drug networks. Vekariya said Gujarat’s drug-related crime rate stood at 0.8%, which he said was the lowest in the country.
