Himachal govt mulls law to tackle drug, cryptocurrency crimes

UNA, OCTOBER 29

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today said that the state government was mulling formulating Organised Crime Act to tackle crimes related to drugs, cryptocurrency, question paper leaks and mining. Addressing media persons here today, he said the draft would be tabled in the next Assembly session.

Agnihotri said the Act would provide for preventive detention of drug smugglers for one year under Prevention of Illicit Trafficking (PIT) and confiscation of their property. At present, the state government has the right to confiscate properties, which will be vested with the Government of India. However, he said after the Act was enforced, the property would be vested with the state government.

The Dy CM said the state government had already discussed with the concerned authorities at the Centre that Himachal Pradesh was a victim of drug menace since the narcotics come from foreign soil and the Union government needed to put a check on this through various Central law enforcement agencies. He said the state government was also constituting a special force against drugs.

The Congress government has already made its stand clear against organised crime. He informed that during the present Congress regime, 11.5 kg of heroin has been seized and 1,574 cases registered, which is about 40 per cent more than those during the last one year of the BJP regime. He added that the properties worth Rs 13.9 crores had been seized and seven cases forwarded to the ED for investigation. He said contrary to BJP allegations that drug menace was on the rise, the fact was that the number of seizures had increased.