Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS personnel with the arrested accused of drug smuggling. Representative image.
Credit: PTI Photo
Ahmedabad: More than 87,000 kilograms of drugs worth Rs 9,600 crore have been seized in Gujarat in the last four years, leading to the arrest of 2,600 persons, state minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Monday.
Speaking at the launch of an anti-drugs campaign, an initiative of the Gujarat police, minister of state for home Sanghavi said 251 cases had been registered and 353 persons arrested this year itself.
"We are waging a war against this menace. We are launching an anti drugs campaign to take this fight from the cities to the villages. As part of it, ADGP rank officials will adopt different districts to implement the campaign. Officials will visit districts for a few days every month to conduct awareness programmes and review the progress," he said.
As per police data, 2,607 accused persons have been arrested and 87,605 kg of narcotics worth Rs 9,679 seized between 2021 and June 2024. This haul does not include contraband seized by central agencies such as Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Narcotics Control Bureau, Customs, Coast Guard and Border Security Force, officials said.
"Under this campaign, awareness programmes against drugs will be organised at district-level at schools, colleges, religious places etc by involving social media influencers, social, political and religious leaders. The state government has also approved a separate budget for more rehabilitation centres in coordination with the Health Department to give addicts timely treatment and counselling," Sanghavi said.
Decrying politicisation of the menace by some parties and states, Sanghavi said, "Gujarat is number one in catching drugs, not consuming it. It has now become a fashion to malign Gujarat for political mileage. We are being defamed because we catch drugs without doing politics. Instead of appreciating us, we are labelled as 'Udta Gujarat'. Unlike Gujarat, there are states which do not take action against drug menace." Referring to the recent recovery of packets containing charas, heroin and other narcotics substances from the Gujarat coast in Kutch and adjoining districts, Sanghavi said these packets were washing ashore after being thrown into the sea by international drug smugglers based in Pakistan.
"Our officers work on a tip off for months and then stay in the high seas for three to four days to seize the consignment. Thanks to our increased vigilance and patrolling on the coast and in the sea, smugglers cannot reach our shores and are forced to go back to Pakistan after throwing these packets into the sea. Our efforts are paying off," Sanghavi asserted.
On the occasion, Gujarat Director General of Police Vikas Sahay said 105 personnel from the force have received cash reward of Rs 16 lakhs so far under the Narco Reward Policy of the state government.