Loopholes in NDPS Act allows drug peddlers to go scot-free

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 27

Loopholes in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which enable drug mafia to go scot-free even after being arrested by the police, is becoming a cause of concern to deal with the drug menace.

The drug mafia, through its peddlers, exploits the weak links of the Act. The Act is stringent for peddlers who are caught with higher quantity of drugs and they are booked under non bailable offences, but those peddlers who are caught with less quantity are booked in bailable offences and come out of prison within days.

“Peddlers don’t carry drugs in higher quantity in J&K. They go scot-free posing as consumers,” said Zorawar Singh Jamwal, Team Jammu chairman, who works as an anti-drug activist in the state.

So far his organisation has sent around 70 youths to drug de-addiction centres outside state and around 12 of them have come back and are living normal life. J&K also lacks a full-fledged drug de-addiction centre in the state and people have to spend lakhs to send their wards, caught in the menace, outside J&K.

“Several youths are being roped in by the drug mafia into this menace. They are first lured with free-of-cost drugs and once they become habitual, mafia use them as peddlers,” Jamwal added.

Despite best efforts by the police, they haven’t been able to put a stop on the practice in the state.

Jammu SSP Sunil Gupta initiated a drive against drugs under the banner of “Sanjeevani” and arrested many peddlers, but this too didn’t deter the mafia.

“Mafia and peddlers are well aware of this fact that even if they are caught in the process, they will be out within days and it will not affect their business,” a senior police officer said.

The Jammu region in general and Jammu plains in particular is the target of drug mafia and drugs are being imported from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch, Kashmir valley and from neighbouring Punjab.

Jamwal is of the opinion that the Central government has to take the initiative to amend the NDPS Act as the drug menace is spread across states and requires stringent laws to curb it. “We must learn from UAE and other Muslim countries where drug menace is very low due to stringent laws. We must follow them,” he added.