Readying database of peddlers: DGP

Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 11

To rein in drug menace, notorious smugglers active along the Indo-Pak border would be taken into preventive detention. “The Punjab police is in the process of finalising a database of smugglers, who have been in the illegal business for generations,” said DGP Dinkar Gupta, after attending a high-level meeting for central and state agencies working to eradicate the menace.

The meeting, held at the BSF headquarters at Khasa, was attended by top officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Punjab Police, Border Security Force (BSF), Special Task Force (STF), Directorate of Revenue officials (DRI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

In the meeting, it has been unanimously decided to build a common database of smugglers active along the Indo-Pak border for sharing information.

The DGP pointed out that different agencies coming on a common platform would make a big difference. “We have been working on increasing liaison and synergy between the law enforcement agencies to root out the drug problem,” he said.

The Punjab Police officials would get training with the NCB to keep abreast with the new investigation techniques to probe drug smuggling cases. The training would be held at Central Detective Training School, Chandigarh.

Besides Gupta, those present in the meeting included Rakesh Asthana, DG, NCB; S Pawar, ADGP, BSF: SK Jha, DDG, NCB; Harpreet Sidhu, ADGP, STF; Chander Shekhar, Additional DG, DRI; Manmohan Singh, Additional Director, IB; Dipak Kumar Gupta, Customs Commissioner; and Ashok Gautam, Joint Director, ED.

Answering media queries regarding drug networks operating from jail premises, the DGP said it was a challenge for the state police. He said steps were being taken for modernisation of jails.