Punjab STF will now monitor NDPS cases

Jupinderjit Singh

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 27

In a major policy shift, all NDPS cases registered in Punjab will now be monitored by the Special Task Force (STF). These were earlier  handled by the district police.

Talking to a few mediapersons here on Tuesday, Mohammad Mustafa, DGP, who took over as STF chief two months ago, said they were ready with a list of 62 persons who could be “detained for a year under the NDPS Act.”

He refused to reveal their identity or if they had political connections. Citing a study, he said more than 1,300 persons nabbed for smuggling in the past two months had escaped the law either due to police negligence or lack of co-ordination between the STF and the district police. 

Also, 97 men from the Intelligence wing deployed with the STF had failed to provide any input. "All of them have been repatriated to their parent cadre," the DGP said.

As many as 725 accused of smuggling drugs had been granted bail by various courts owing to the failure of the district police to file a challan within the stipulated period. “We have suspended an ASI in Amritsar for such negligence. Similar action is being taken in other cases too."

The STF, the DGP said, had identified 137 proclaimed offenders (POs) against whom it would lodge fresh FIRs under 174-A of the IPC that entails a three-year prison term for dodging the law. “This Section was rarely used in Punjab earlier,” the DGP explained, adding the STF had also identified 328 smugglers who were never arrested. 

He said the Prison Department had been told to inform the STF if an accused under the NDPS Act had to be taken to court for trial or hospitalised. "I have written to the Health Department to set up a separate wing for such cases."

On the de-addiction initiatives by the STF, the officer said 5,5414 patients had been registered with the Out-Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment. “The retention rate has risen to 92.85 per cent in just two months."

Jammu couple held with 10-kg heroin 

Ludhiana: The STF in Ludhiana nabbed a couple from Jalalabad Sunjma village in Jammu with 10.25 kg heroin in boxes of walnuts. Mohammad Arbi, 48, and his wife Jamila Begum, 36, confessed to supplying drugs to clients in Punjab. Snehdeep, AIG, said the duo had links with Pakistan-based smugglers. TNS