Deputy Commissioner B Henok Buchem along with other officials during a coordination meeting held at the DC’s office chamber in Kohima on October 22. (DIPR Photo)
Kohima, October 23 (MExN): Kohima Police seized approximately 20,000 Yaba tablets during anti-drug operations this month, while security forces confiscated 302 grams of heroin and 6 kg of opium in separate operations, a DIPR update informed.
The seizures were highlighted during the Kohima District Narcotics Coordination meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner's office chamber on October 22 under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner B Henok Buchem.
The meeting reviewed enforcement measures, monitoring mechanisms and inter-departmental coordination to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the district.
Director of the Kripa Foundation, Abou Mere, highlighted the underlying causes of drug addiction, prevention strategies and treatment protocols.
He said low self-esteem, depression, personal failure, lack of communication, the desire for instant gratification and what he termed “King Baby Syndrome” were among the common psychological factors contributing to drug abuse.
Mere called for targeted career guidance and wider awareness programmes to address these vulnerabilities.
Tracing the evolution of the problem, he said drug addiction, which was largely confined to wealthier sections in the 1980s, had crossed socioeconomic boundaries by the 1990s and become a concern across households.
Although some aspects of the situation had improved, drug addiction had now spread across sections of society, affecting gazetted officers, uniformed personnel and daily wage earners alike, he said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kohima, Krodi Rhetso, thanked the Kripa Foundation for its efforts to safeguard society and said the Home Department had been working with the organisation to rehabilitate law enforcement personnel affected by substance abuse.
He said police had identified major drug trafficking routes, but smugglers continued to find new channels to transport contraband.
Rhetso also said the Ministry of Home Affairs had directed that district-level narcotics coordination meetings be held every month, with minutes submitted to the ministry and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a timely manner.
Linking a recent increase in local theft cases to youth addiction, the SSP urged all stakeholders to work together to combat substance abuse and restore a peaceful atmosphere in the district.
The meeting also discussed strategies to curb drug abuse and reviewed activities under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
The Drug Inspector briefed the meeting on recent grassroots-level enforcement measures, including targeted inspections of pharmacies.
The department plans to conduct comprehensive sensitisation programmes for pharmacies across Kohima to prevent the misuse of prescription drugs, officials said.
