Around a month after Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur introduced {that a} particular activity pressure (STF) will likely be constituted to wage struggle on medicine within the hill state, the extra director basic of police on Friday mentioned a proposal for a similar had been despatched to the federal government for approval.

Crime Investigation Department (CID) further director basic of police (ADGP) SP Singh mentioned, “We have sent a proposal for the formation of an anti-narcotic task force to curb the burgeoning drug trade in the state to the government.”

“The police department will set up a narcotic coordination secretariat at the CID headquarters in Shimla, which will coordinate with an interstate secretariat in Panchkula. The secretariat will felicitate coordination between different government agencies.” the ADGP said, adding that the task force will ensure effective rehabilitation of addicts in the hill state.

At present, there are 68 rehabilitation centers in the state, but there is no separate facility for women addicts in the state. The police will also set up field units in the state’s pharmacy hub, Baddi, Barotiwaala and Nalagarh, and in Kalaamb in district Sirmaur. The field units will check the diversion of drugs from pharmaceutical units.

The consumption and smuggling of synthetic drugs in Himachal has increased manifold over the last few years, and there has been a corresponding increase in addiction. Chitta (adulterated heroin) has made inroads to the rural pockets, mainly Shimla, Kangra, Una, Sirmaur and Solan. The problem is more acute in areas bordering Punjab.

In 2021, the Himachal Police had seized drugs worth 18 crore, arrested 2,223 persons, including 82 women and 15 foreign nationals, in 1,537 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act .

The anti-narcotic task force will implement the HP Integrated Drug Policy, a national action plan for drug demand reduction, a scheme for prevention of alcoholism and substance abuse and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. The state narcotic control cell (SNCC) will be merged in the task force and field units will be opened at Una, Mandi and Baddi. Last year, the police had seized 46,200 banned capsules in Sirmaur, 9,521 bottles (100 millilitres each) of cough syrup, which were being abused by the youth of the state. Two years ago, the police had also registered a case against Orison Pharma International, Kala Amb and seized 30,10, 050 tramadol tablets and 226 kilograms of tramadol API. It had also issued notices under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to three firms and suspended the licenses of seven firms in Himachal.

“To keep pace with the changing technology, technology support, training and coordination unit, crime and criminal database unit and intelligence and enforcement units will also be set up at the CID headquarters and efforts would be made to create and retain experts in the core team of the special task force,” the ADGP mentioned.

Drug menace in HP

The consumption and smuggling of artificial medicine in Himachal has elevated manifold over the previous few years.

Cases registered: 1,537

Persons arrested: 2,223

Cannabis cultivation destroyed: 5,197 bighas

Poppy cultivation destroyed: 149 bighas

Opium recovered: 40.8kg

Poppy husk seized: 1,903kg

Marijuana seized: 814kg

Heroin seized: 14.9kg

Banned tablets seized: 30,68,184

*Data for 2021