For a state that stands for the Gandhian ideals of abstinence and asceticism, Gujarat confronts an uncomfortable reality: that it’s rapidly degenerating into India’s capital for prohibited drugs.
Numbers scream themselves out: last year, the narcotic and psychotropic drugs valued at Rs 7,303 crore were seized in Gujarat.
While authorities claim that most of these shipments were headed towards Punjab, experts have cautioned that drug cartels are dangerously advancing towards Gujarat’s borders.
DIG Sunil Joshi of Gujarat ATS clarified, “Our mid-sea operations show that none of the heroin or cocaine shipments were intended for Gujarat. Our investigations show that all of them were routed to Punjab,” he said. But he warned, “Small consignments, such as a few kilograms of ganja, were intended for Gujarat.”
Further, as much as 1,882 kg of mephedrone was seized in three major offences spanning across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, a media house reported.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), collaborating with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Indian Navy, and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), has recently captured drugs valued at Rs 6,871 crore.
Analysts believe that Gujarat’s extensive coastline and major ports make it a favoured transit point for smugglers. A senior police officer elaborated that the available sea routes make Gujarat a preferred location for offloading shipments intended for other regions.
Despite the focus on trafficking routes, a central agency official cautioned against underestimating the potential for local drug consumption in Gujarat. The official emphasised that it was crucial to acknowledge the possibility of drugs like heroin and cocaine entering the state, which could lead to increased local usage.
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