Drug menace alarming in Rajouri

Shyam Sood

Rajouri, March 27

Drug addiction has reached an alarming stage in Rajouri district, especially in the city and its vicinity, including Thanamandi, Kotranka, Darhal and Manjakot tehsils. Despite several measures being taken by the police, the strength of drug abusers is increasing day by day.

Recently, a video of a minor boy from Thanamandi tehsil went viral on social media who had taken/or was injected drug injection and was unable to stand on his feet.

The role of the police is also wary in curbing the drug trade because since January this year, several drug peddlers were arrested under various police stations and a large quantity of drugs, including heroin, charas, tramadol and acivon capsules, diazapam and avil tablets, injections etc, was recovered.

“The peddlers are not preparing drugs at their homes or at other places. They must be procuring these from wholesalers or dealers involved in this trade.

But despite disclosure of their identities by the arrested small fishes in the trade, the police never booked the bigger ones or disclosed their identities,” a senior citizen said.

For the last few years, the police have tightened its noose around the drug traders but failed to achieve the desired results so far.

Recently, all the senior police officers in the district, including SSP, Deputy SP, Headquarters and Operations, respectively, have joined their new postings at Rajouri. After the society’s serious concern over increasing incidents of drug abuse, the officers have assured stringent action against those involved in the trade.

In this connection, Jaswant Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Headquarters, on Wednesday called a meeting of the chemists of the Rajouri town and its vicinity. He said as per the information collected by the police, a few among them were also involved in the sale of banned drugs and syringes to the drug addicts and peddlers.

“Sustained interrogation of a few apprehended drug peddlers has revealed that a few chemists have also obtained licences of other persons and are involved in the sale of banned drugs. Only those chemists will be allowed in the business in future who have their own licences and the violators will be dealt with aniron hand,” said Jaswant Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Headquarters.