THANE: The Thane police have managed to seize drugs worth Rs 3.77 crore in the last 10 months. Out of the seized contraband, 739kg is ganja or marijuana worth Rs 1.16 crore. While total 137 drug pushers have been arrested for peddling various types of drugs, 53 have been held in 39 cases of peddling ganja in 2023, statistical data by the Thane police has revealed.
Apart from this a total of 577 cases of consumption have been registered by the Thane police under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS). The police said that ganja is available in abundance at extremely cheaper rates as the drug pushers, using various transport routes, sneak into the city or the surrounding rural areas to sell it to the addicts. Apart from this, the cops have also seized nearly 8.1 kg charas worth Rs 7 lakh, which suggests a shift of trend from mephedrone (MD) towards other psychotropic drugs as MD used to be one of the top selling drugs until it came under the ambit of the NDPS act.
Moreover, 1.58 gm MD worth Rs 65 lakh has been recovered from peddlers in 29 cases where 48 accused have been arrested. The police said that a total of 15 LSD blots weighing 22gm worth Rs 1.2 lakh have also been seized. A police officer added that there is a slight shift of trend among the addicts in order to evade criminal trial. In the recent raids, the police have caught as many as 8,719 unprescribed cough syrup bottles and over 500 medicines worth Rs 37.88 lakh in which 20 accused have been arrested.
“These bottles also known as batla and tablets called buttons in code language have been the safest way to avoid law enforcement booking for them under the NDPS act. Though the dealers are arrested for flouting law by selling them or illegally stocking them, it has been on rise among the addicts,” said a senior police officer. A senior police officer added that the demand of psychotropic drugs among the citizens especially in the twin cities of Mumbra and Bhiwandi has been more as compared to other cities. The main reason for rise in drug peddling and consumption cases is lack of awareness among the parents and the youth falling prey to the addition.
Cautioning the parents, a police officer said, “Parents should keep a watch on their children and observe their health and sleeping patterns. In case they find something fishy, they should consult the doctors.”
Apart from this a total of 577 cases of consumption have been registered by the Thane police under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS). The police said that ganja is available in abundance at extremely cheaper rates as the drug pushers, using various transport routes, sneak into the city or the surrounding rural areas to sell it to the addicts. Apart from this, the cops have also seized nearly 8.1 kg charas worth Rs 7 lakh, which suggests a shift of trend from mephedrone (MD) towards other psychotropic drugs as MD used to be one of the top selling drugs until it came under the ambit of the NDPS act.
Moreover, 1.58 gm MD worth Rs 65 lakh has been recovered from peddlers in 29 cases where 48 accused have been arrested. The police said that a total of 15 LSD blots weighing 22gm worth Rs 1.2 lakh have also been seized. A police officer added that there is a slight shift of trend among the addicts in order to evade criminal trial. In the recent raids, the police have caught as many as 8,719 unprescribed cough syrup bottles and over 500 medicines worth Rs 37.88 lakh in which 20 accused have been arrested.
“These bottles also known as batla and tablets called buttons in code language have been the safest way to avoid law enforcement booking for them under the NDPS act. Though the dealers are arrested for flouting law by selling them or illegally stocking them, it has been on rise among the addicts,” said a senior police officer. A senior police officer added that the demand of psychotropic drugs among the citizens especially in the twin cities of Mumbra and Bhiwandi has been more as compared to other cities. The main reason for rise in drug peddling and consumption cases is lack of awareness among the parents and the youth falling prey to the addition.
Cautioning the parents, a police officer said, “Parents should keep a watch on their children and observe their health and sleeping patterns. In case they find something fishy, they should consult the doctors.”
