Charas from Nepal, ganja from Odisha and opium from Bihar and Jharkhand
According to state police information, with effect from January 1 till the first week July 10 this year, Haryana police have so far registered 172 commercial quantities’ cases of drug smuggling and arrested as many as 269 individuals, seizing 2.7 kg of heroin, 3,209 kg of ganja, over 5,565 kg of poppy straw besides huge quantity of opium and intoxicated drugs and injections. State government took stern action against drug smugglers in the state in which illegal properties of the smugglers were either demolished or seized by the government, besides seized drugs were destroyed.
Information revealed, Charas from Nepal, heroin from Delhi, ganja from Odisha, opium from Bihar and Jharkhand and poppy straw from Rajasthan is how narcotic substances are making entry into Haryana. The state police, in its ongoing crackdown on commercial quantity drug-trafficking has found a new pattern, apart from the existing entry of drugs from Pakistan to Punjab and then shifting stocks to other parts of the country, in which banned substances have now found its route from Nepal into the country.
The top five cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Haryana this year show the extensive and organised nature of drug trafficking within and across the state’s borders. Over the past two years, Haryana state has witnessed substantial seizures of huge quantities of narcotics. Several cases of seizures of charas that were being brought from Nepal into the country have been seized in Haryana’s various districts during the past six months. According to the latest data, Haryana Police registered 320 commercial quantity drug smuggling cases and arrested 563 individuals in 2023 alone, and seizure of large quantities of various drugs including 11.5 kg of heroin, 141.71 kg charas, 4,195 kg of ganja, and 13,479 kg of poppy along with huge quantity of intoxicated tablets, capsules and injections. Last year with effect from January 1 till June 30, the commercial quantity case seizured in the state included 7.12 kg heroin, 93.92 kg charas, 3019.3 kg ganja, 83.93 kg opium and 4141.2 kg poppy straw.
From January 1 till date this year police have so far registered 172 commercial quantities cases and arrested 269 individuals, seizing 2.7 kg of heroin, 3,209 kg of ganja, and 5,565.3 kg of poppy straw. Information reveals that till May 31, 2024, the Haryana police confiscated properties of 102 drug-traffickers worth Rs 48.34 crore. At least 106 unauthorised encroachments of drug-traffickers were also demolished. ADGP OP Singh said that the major drug suppliers targeted by Haryana Police are not mere street-level peddlers but are part of a highly organised syndicate, and such networks have extensive financial, transportation and distribution infrastructures, enabling them to operate on a large scale. “The arrested accused often include key operatives responsible for orchestrating the supply chain from production regions to consumer markets,” Singh said.
The NDPS Act in India is designed to ensure that individuals involved in drug trafficking face stringent penalties. Those caught with commercial quantities of narcotics face a minimum of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, which can extend for up to 20 years along with heavy fines. Securing bail under the NDPS Act, if caught with commercial quantity is difficult, ensuring that offenders remain incarcerated for extended periods. Many of the arrested individuals from 2023 and 2024 continue to languish in jails of Haryana, awaiting trial without the prospect of easy bail.
