To curbs drug menace, STFs to be constituted at district level
TNN Bureau. Updated: 9/20/2019 9:28:00 AM
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JAMMU: In a bid to block the supply chain to rid the growing menace of drugs in State, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have been directed by the Advisor Home, Vijay Kumar, to constitute Special Task Forces (STFs) at district level to work exclusively on drugs cases, The News Now has reliably learnt.
The STFs so constituted will be headed by an Additional Superintendent of Police and will work on the cases of drugs peddling and abuses even though the same is registered in the police stations.
“Each district head (SSP) has been directed to constitute a committee headed by a SP rank person to deal, to monitor and to supervise the narcotic cases registered in the police stations”, a senior police officer informed this scribe.
“Yes, we have constituted a police team led by Additional SP Faisal Qureshi to deal with and to monitor the drugs related cases. The committee has been constituted based on the directions from officials, higher-up,” confirming the reports, SSP Samba, Shakti Pathak said.
Official sources said that likewise, all the district heads either have constituted or in the process of constituting the STFs for the same purpose.
The STF will identify the drugs dealers, consumers and suppliers so that the entire chain dealing with the drugs will be uprooted.
They said that the dire need of constitution of such committees became mandatory to ease out cumbersome investigation on the part of the police station. They said the police team of professionals in the STF has been authorized to conduct a raid in the jurisdiction of any police station when and where they found dealing of drugs.
Worthwhile to mention here that DGP Dilbag Singh on Wednesday had said the drug menace in J&K had increased manifold compared to the previous years, which was evident from the seizure of a huge quantity of narcotic substances and arrest of drug peddlers.
"It is a big conspiracy of Pakistan as a majority of the drugs is coming from there. Investigation into some cases indicates the money generated from drugs smuggling is being utilised to finance militancy," the DGP had told”, adding, “So far, 340 people (drug peddlers) have been arrested against a total of 350 last year, while the (drug) licences of eight shops were cancelled and 12 more persons were detained under the Public Safety Act, besides, seizure of a huge quantity of narcotics this year”.