Tag: Drugs

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-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Afghan police seize 1,500 kg of illicit drugs, arrest 120 offenders

In the month of May, the counter-narcotics police had wiped out over 17,500 acres of poppy farms in north Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province in the past one month…reports Asian Lite News

Afghan police seized 1,500 kg of illicit drugs, including opium and heroin, and arrested 120 alleged drug smugglers from Afghanistan’s Nimroz province over the past six months, the provincial police office said in a statement on Saturday.

Without providing more details, the statement said that the dossiers of the suspects have been referred to the judiciary for further investigation and possible legal process, Xinhua news agency reported.

Afghan authorities have intensified crackdown on illicit drugs and those involved in the business.

Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan had dropped by an estimated 95 per cent since the country’s caretaker government imposed a drug ban in April 2022, according to a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime issued last November.

In the month of May, the counter-narcotics police had wiped out over 17,500 acres of poppy farms in north Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province in the past one month.

The law enforcement towards these illicit crops was conducted in parts of Baharak, Darayem, Teshkan, Yamgan, Yeftal Payan, Kashm, Juram, and Argo districts, as well as provincial capital Faizabad city, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued by the provincial police on Wednesday.

The Afghan police had also destroyed two drug processing labs and arrested 10 people on the charge of involvement in illicit drug business in the provinces of Nimroz, Balkh and Helmand.

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India News

Amit Shah claims success in India’s war against drugs

New Delhi, June 26 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah virtually extends his greetings on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on Monday. (ANI Photo)

The effect of our comprehensive and coordinated fight against drugs is that where drugs worth Rs 768 crore only were seized in 2006-13, it has increased almost 30 times to Rs 768 crore in 2014-22…reports Asian Lite News

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday applauded the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and other organisations for their relentless efforts in the fight against drugs on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Shah said that in the last few years, the MHA has revamped the entire strategy to realise the PM’s vision of a ‘Drug-Free India’, and that the registration of cases against drug peddlers in the country rose by 181 per cent during the nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the policy of zero tolerance against narcotics adopted by the Ministry of Home Affairs is showing successful results today. One of the main pillars of this policy is the “Whole of Government Approach” of the Modi government, in which the coordination of different departments makes the policy more effective, he said.

In a video message, Amit Shah said, “On the occasion of the ‘International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking’, I congratulate all the organisations and people fighting against drugs. It is a matter of great pleasure that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is organizing ‘Nasha Mukt Pakhwada’ at the all-India level this time.”

The Union Home Minister further said, “It is our resolve that we will not allow the narcotics trade in India, nor will we allow drugs to be routed to the world through India. In this campaign against drugs, all the major agencies of the country, especially the ‘NCB,’ are continuously fighting their war.”

To strengthen this campaign, the Ministry of Home Affairs established NCORD in 2019, and the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) was formed in the police departments of every state; the first national conference of ANTF was held in April 2023 in Delhi, he said.

Amit Shah said that the campaign against drug misuse and side effects is being carried out on a war footing at the national level through appropriate forums.

The effect of our comprehensive and coordinated fight against drugs is that where drugs worth Rs 768 crore only were seized in 2006-13, it has increased almost 30 times to Rs 768 crore in 2014-22.

“181 per cent more cases have been registered against drug peddlers in comparison to the earlier period. This shows the commitment of the Modi government towards a drug-free India,” said Shah, while adding that they also launched a destruction campaign to prevent the re-use of seized drugs in June 2022; under this campaign, around 6 lakh kg of seized narcotics have been destroyed nationwide.

The Union Home Minister also said that whether it is about destroying drug cultivation or spreading public awareness, the Ministry of Home Affairs, in coordination with all institutions and states, is making every possible effort for a “drug-free India”, but this battle cannot be won without people’s participation.

“On this occasion, I appeal to all my countrymen to keep themselves and their families away from drugs. Drugs not only make the young generation and society hollow but the money earned from their smuggling is used against the security of the country. I appeal to the people to take an active part in this war against its misuse and inform the security agencies about the drug-trade taking place around them,” he said.

Amit Shah also said that I am sure that with collective efforts, we all will be able to root out the problem of drugs and achieve our goal of a ‘drugs-free India’. I congratulate the NCB again and other institutions for their contribution in working towards the resolution of the Modi government, and I hope that we will not rest unless we win this fight against drugs. (ANI)

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Categories
Goa India News

Int’l tourists, labourers bring drugs to Goa: Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.(twitter)

“Our nation should be drugs-free. For zero tolerance towards drugs, we should work as Team India,” Sawant told reporters here…reports Asian Lite News

Stating that international tourists and labourers bring drugs to the coastal state, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday that the state government is using the best practices to crack down on narcotics rackets.

After attending a virtual meeting with Amit Shah, Sawant said the Union Home Minister has taken cognisance of Goa’s detention centre and deporting process and has asked other states, which attended the meeting, to implement similar practices.

“The Anti-Narcotic Cell (ANC) is working in the best way to control drug trafficking. Migrant labourers bring drugs (like ganja, charas egtc.) in buses and trains. International tourists also bring drugs to Goa. The government is taking the necessary steps to crack down on this,” Sawant said.

“The Union Home Minister guided us during the meeting on controlling drug trafficking. Discussions took place on the best practices and views of all states were taken,” Sawant said.

“Our nation should be drugs-free. For zero tolerance towards drugs, we should work as Team India,” Sawant told reporters here.

“The Home Minister has taken cognisance of Goa’s detention centre and told the other states to create similar detention centres and deport foreigners (staying illegally) like the way Goa does,” he said.

Sawant said that last year, 161 cases (drugs related) were registered and narcotics worth more than Rs 4.5 crore were seized.

“We will not tolerate drugs in the state. We want a drug-free Goa. The ANC is spreading awareness against drugs,” Sawant added.

“Since 2019, we have deported 129 foreign nationals. Earlier, 700 Nigerians were staying illegally, now only 50 are remaining. We have deported 650 of them,” the Chief Minister said.

In 2013, the state government had started acting against foreign nationals staying illegally in Goa after over 200 African nationals had blocked NH 17 at Porvorim, 5 km from capital Panjim, for nearly an hour. They were trying to take away the body of a Nigerian who was found murdered from an ambulance.

The incident took place after the body was found in Parra, a village adjoining the beach village of Calangute, which is notorious for being Goa’s narco-tourism capital.

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Categories
-Top News India News

NCB accuses Aryan Khan and others of ‘illicit drug trafficking’

Aryan Khan

The NCB’s allegations came in its reply opposing the bail applications of Aryan Khan, Merchant, and Dhamecha…reports Asian Lite News.

In a sensational claim, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday alleged that Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, along with others, was prima facie involved in “illicit drug trafficking, procuring and distribution of contraband” banned under the NDPS Act.

The agency also accused Aryan Khan of being in touch with some persons abroad who could be part of an international illegal drug syndicate and it is continuing further investigations to unearth his links to contact the foreign agency through proper channels.

The NCB’s statement came during a hearing of the bail applications of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, Mohak Jaswal, Nupur Satija, Aachit Kumar, Shreyas Nair and Avin Sahu before Special NDPS Judge V.V. Patil.

Since the arguments remained incomplete, the matter will continue on Thursday afternoon, and Aryan Khan and the 7 others arrested remain in custody since October 2.

Khan’s lawyers, senior advocates Amit Desai and Satish Maneshinde argued that Aryan Khan was not present during the rave party raid on the cruise ship, had no cash to buy drugs, nor had any narcotics on him.

The NCB’s allegations came in its reply opposing the bail applications of Aryan Khan, Merchant, and Dhamecha.

It said there is prima facie sufficient material evidence in the form of WhatsApp chats, photos, etc showing that Aryan Khan was an active link of the illegal drugs chain along with the other accused.

The agency said Aryan Khan used to procure the drugs from Merchant, from whom 5 grams charas was recovered, and they are both closely associated which is sufficient to make out the offences, while Aachit Kumar, nabbed after Khan’s statement, was nabbed with 2.6 grams of ganja.

The reply states that the arrests of the other suppliers and accused form part of a larger chain, nexus and involvement in a conspiracy.

Since there was a seizure of commercial quantities of drugs, the non-recovery of drugs from one person (Aryan Khan) cannot be treated in isolation as all are intertwined with each other and are “inextricably connected”.

Strongly opposing Aryan Khan’s bail plea, the NCB said that since he an influential person, he could tamper with evidence or influence witnesses and may flee from justice.

Desai, however, termed the NCB allegations of drug trafficking as inherently absurd and false since he was not even on the ship during the raids, but the NCB said Aryan Khan used to get his drugs from Merchant.

Aryan Khan, along with Merchant, Dhamecha, Satija, Jaswal, Ishmeet Singh Chadha, Vikrant Chhoker, and Gomit Chopra were nabbed in the first round on October 3, and on October 7, remanded to 14 days judicial custody by a Mumbai magistrate.

Later, the NCB made a series of arrests, totaling to around 20 till date and all the accused are in different types of custody.

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